Blue might be the colour of all that the big screen wears at the moment, sloshing across cinemas in Avatar: The Way of Water, but movie theatres will be thoroughly thinking pink when mid-2023 arrives. That's when Barbie will bring its dolls and dream houses — and its toy chest filled with costumes and different characters, too — to picture palaces. Can't wait? Showing in front of The Water of Water IRL and now dropping online, the first teaser trailer for the figurine-to-film adaptation is here to provide a playful and glorious glimpse. Marking Greta Gerwig's third solo stint behind the camera after Lady Bird and Little Women, and scripted by the actor-turned-director with fellow filmmaker Noah Baumbach — her helmer on Greenberg, Frances Ha, Mistress America and White Noise, and real-life partner — Barbie follows in the footsteps of fellow toy-to-movie flicks like the Transformers series, Trolls, The Lego Movie and its sequel, Battleship and the GI Joe films. Playing the central parts: Australia's own Margot Robbie (Amsterdam) as the feature's namesake and Ryan Gosling (The Gray Man) as Barbie's paramour Ken. But, just like the toys, there's rumoured to be more than one version of each figure. Of course, when it comes to playthings like Barbie dolls, the Mattel toys blazed their own path, as this first look at the film nods to. In an entertaining 2001: A Space Odyssey parody, the trailer notes that most girls' dolls were originally babies. Add an 'r' and you get the adult-bodied line that debuted in 1959 — with a look that Robbie is seen sporting as the kids in the teaser fling around and smash their old infant dolls. The full film hits cinemas on July 20 Down Under, complete with a cast that also includes Will Ferrell (Spirited), Issa Rae (Insecure), Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Michael Cera (Arrested Development), America Ferrera (Superstore), Ncuti Gatwa (the incoming Doctor Who), Emerald Fennell (The Crown), Rhea Perlman (Poms), Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami), Emma Mackey (Sex Education) and Jamie Demetriou (Catherine Called Birdy). In the initial trailer, there's zero in the way of story detail provided; however, as well as that 2001 riff, the sneak peek includes dream houses as far as the eye can see, Ken rocking a fringed leather vest and bandana combo, pink outfits aplenty and a shimmering dance number. Life in plastic, it's fantastic here — even without any sign of Aqua's 'Barbie Girl' on the trailer's soundtrack. Check out the first teaser trailer for Barbie below: Barbie releases in cinemas Down Under on July 20, 2023.
In a dimly lit room in a grimy train station, a capuchin monkey sits at a table. In walks a detective, who then starts smoking a cigarette and interrogating the animal in front of him. They chat, bantering back and forth as the cop asks questions and the primate answers. At one point, the monkey even sings. Queries range from "do you know anything about birds?" to "you ever ride the rodeo?", all in a quest to solve a murder. A chicken also pops up, and a waitress. If the above scenario sounds more than a little surreal, that's because it is — especially given that it's part of David Lynch's new 17-minute short film. Called What Did Jack Do?, the black-and-white piece also stars the inimitable Lynch as the detective. At this stage of the acclaimed director's career, that just sounds natural, really. Intrigued? If you're a fan of the filmmaker's work — spanning everything Eraserhead and Blue Velvet to three seasons of Twin Peaks across nearly three decades — then of course you are. And thanks to Netflix, you can now spend a small chunk of your day watching the latest unique, delightful and inescapably odd work by one of the most distinctive auteurs to ever stand behind a camera. While first screened at Paris' Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain back in 2017, and then playing Lynch's own in Festival of Disruption in New York in 2018, What Did Jack Do? hadn't been widely seen until now. And although Netflix isn't known for stacking its catalogue with shorts, when it adds one, it's worth checking out — like last year's also far-from-ordinary Paul Thomas Anderson and Thom Yorke collaboration. Check out a clip of What Did Jack Do? below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crzwq4CjhvA What Did Jack Do? is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Turning a movie into a TV show can be a tricky prospect, but add What We Do in the Shadows to the list of series that completely nail the task. Crucially, it doesn't remake Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's hilarious New Zealand mockumentary. Instead, it expands upon it — peering inside a different share house, this time in Staten Island in New York, that's filled with completely different vampires. The television sitcom is set in the same universe as its predecessor, too, so keeping your eyes peeled for links and familiar faces is 100-percent recommended. And yes, both Waititi and Clement have been involved behind the scenes, so it all has their stamp of approval. Also, and we cannot stress this enough, getting the great Matt Berry to play a pompous bloodsucker ranks among the best TV casting moves ever made.
When word arrived that a new version of Scott Pilgrim was on its way, it felt as inevitable as the person of your dreams having a complicated romantic past. That nothing ever truly dies in pop culture is old news. So is the fact that nothing fades into memory, especially when respawning can capitalise upon a fanbase. Turning Scott Pilgrim into a TV show is the latest example on an ever-growing list of leaps from the big screen to the small; however, sight unseen, making a Scott Pilgrim anime series felt more fitting than most similar jumps. Thanks to manga-style aesthetic that filled Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novels, the video game-esque plot about battling seven evil exes and the cartoon vibe that Edgar Wright brought so engagingly to his 2010 big-screen live-action adaptation, imagining how O'Malley and co-writer/co-producer BenDavid Grabinski (Are You Afraid of the Dark?) — plus Wright (Last Night in Soho) again as an executive producer — could bring that to an eight-part animation was instantly easy. Called Scott Pilgrim Takes Off rather than Scott Pilgrim vs the World, the Netflix series that streams from Friday, November 17 begins as a straightforward Scott Pilgrim anime, introducing the same tale that's been spread across pages and cinemas — and played through via a video game, too — right down to repeated shots and dialogue. Meet Scott Pilgrim again, then. The Michael Cera (Barbie)-voiced twentysomething bassist is once more fated to fall in love with literal dream girl Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ahsoka), who first appears to him as he slumbers, then fight the seven folks who dated her before him. When sparks fly, he also has his own amorous mess to deal with, including that he's dating high-schooler Knives Chau (Ellen Wong, Best Sellers) and remains heartbroken over being dumped by now-superstar singer Envy Adams (Brie Larson, The Marvels). Scott Pilgrim Takes Off's debut episode still has its namesake living with Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin, Succession) in a one-room Toronto flat, and regularly having the ins and outs of his life recounted by his roommate to his sister Stacey (Anna Kendrick, Alice, Darling). Scott is reliably one third of Sex Bob-Omb! alongside his friend Stephen Stills (Mark Webber, SMILF) and ex Kim Pine (Alison Pill, Hello Tomorrow!), with Stephen's housemate Young Neil (Johnny Simmons, Girlboss) always watching on. And, when he first talks to Ramona IRL, it's at a party thrown by the acerbic Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre). Then, the band plays a gig that Scott invites Ramona to, and the first of her evil former paramours interrupts Sex Bob-Omb!'s set to throw down — with Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha, Sense8) still hung up on the girl he dated for a week and a half in seventh grade. Beating Matthew will mean needing to vanquish the rest of Ramona's past loves next: movie star Lucas Lee (Chris Evans, Pain Hustlers), vegan fellow bassist Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh, The Flash), Ramona's college roommate Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman, Good Girls), twins Kyle and Ken Katayanagi (Julian Cihi, Only Murders in the Building), and record-label head Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes). Accordingly, just like Kim shouting "we are Sex Bob-Omb!" at the beginning of a set, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off starts with comfortable familiarity. But at the end of the initial instalment, after every detail looks like the graphic novels and film given the anime treatment to the point of feeling uncanny, in drops the first twist. There's reimaginings, and then there's this playful take that adores the comics and movie, pays homage to them, riffs on and even openly references them, but charmingly shirks the idea of being a remake. So, what if that narrative didn't follow the path that viewers have seen before? What if there's a reason that this series' moniker mentions Scott not being around? What if that's just the kick-off point for a brand-new, gorgeously dreamy, wildly inventive and infectiously heartfelt Scott Pilgrim remix? This is still a story spun from a slacker fantasy while bubbling with sincerity and intensity about navigating love and life when you're working out who you are, but every new turn in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off deepens its tale, emotions and delights. It still dwells in a world where Scott orders a delivery from the rollerskating Ramona on a boxy computer (she slings Netflix DVDs, aptly), yet it feels even more divorced from time. Although still abounds with pop culture nods and throwback vibes as well — albeit without zero sounds from The Legend of Zelda, but with added lines of dialogue straight out of 90s tunes — this isn't the exact same Scott Pilgrim. Prepare to get meta, and also for an angle that Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs the World didn't have, putting the focus on Ramona not as the object of eight people's affections but as Scott Pilgrim Takes Off's protagonist. As she endeavours to work out what's going on, she's the audience's guide in a whodunnit (because alongside slotting into the film-to-TV trend like Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, this series embraces its mystery angle as A Murder at the End of the World has also been doing of late, plus plenty of other shows before it). As Ramona's other exes still need confronting, it's her rather than someone she's casually seeing that's wading and soul-searching through her history. If O'Malley, Grabinski and Wright had chosen to call their Netflix effort Ramona Flowers vs the World, it would've fit; that said, not only Ramona but the full slate of characters beyond Scott all benefit from the big shift. Accordingly, while the ex-by-ex structure stays — plus the fight scenes bursting with on-screen onomatopoeia — each episode builds upon Ramona, Wallace, Knives, Kim, Young Neil, Stephen, Julie, Stacey and Envy, as well as Matthew, Lucas, Todd, Roxy, the Katayanagi and Gideon. If re-enlisting the movie's massive supporting cast seemed like a mammoth achievement, expanding their characters' place in the story must've been a prime way to entice everyone back. What makes Ramona's exes tick, hopes and neuroses alike, cannily and cathartically helps shapes the show's sleuthing. More than that, unresolved emotions and struggles colour every battle. Bouncing ingeniously through an array of film genres in a video store-set fray is a particularly memorable and meaningful move. As brought to the screen with Science Saru's now-expectedly beguiling animation (see also: the big screen's Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, Lu Over the Wall, Ride Your Wave and Inu-Oh, all from filmmaker Masaaki Yuasa), different instalments also take their tone and approach from different sources. A Lucas-centric chapter that turns Liam Lynch's 2002 track 'United States of Whatever' into its anthem is a treat, for instance, and another episode is a self-referential marvel. Where Scott Pilgrim vs the World looked outward to dive into its characters, using its gaming and pop-culture nods as shorthand to explain who they are, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off peers inwards to get its mood, themes, intricacies and slant. Like Scott with Ramona, this series is something to tumble head over heels for, and one of the best examples yet of pressing play again on a beloved treasure. Check out the full trailer for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off below: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off streams via Netflix on Friday, November 17.
When Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the latest stage of eased restrictions for metropolitan Melbourne, he gave the city's residents a particularly welcome piece of news, revealing that pubs, bars and restaurants can reopen for dine-in patrons from 11.59pm on Tuesday, October 27. Yes, that means that it's time to get on the beers again — and some of the city's watering holes aren't wasting a second. If you're eager to have a drink somewhere other than your own house after months of lockdown, you can venture out tonight just before the stroke of midnight, which is when some Melbourne venues are throwing open their doors. Crucially, the next set of eased restrictions also scraps the four reasons that Melburnians previously needed to leave home, so going out for a few beverages is well and truly on the cards. The 25-kilometre rule is still in effect, though, so you'll need to ensure that your pub, bar or restaurant of choice is within that exact distance of your house. At laneway cocktail bar Gin Palace in Russell Place, you can start sipping martinis as Tuesday night ticks over to Wednesday morning — although, in-line with reopening conditions applicable to all indoor dining at all venues, the bar can welcome only 20 folks at one time. It's doing two 90-minute sessions, with the first running until 1.30am and the second spanning 1.30–3am. [caption id="attachment_710647" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Gin Palace[/caption] Over at The Wolf Windsor, it's not only serving up drinks but also treating customers to a midnight parmigiana meal. You'll pay $100, and you'll get to knock back beers for an hour as part of the price. It's only taking bookings for tables of two and four. At steakhouse Angus & Bon, there'll be a midnight countdown, champagne corks and confetti flying about the place when the clock strikes 12, and even the cutting of a red ribbon. But, in far from astonishing news, the Prahran spot's celebrations are already booked out. That's the case at Nick & Nora's, too, which is a newcomer to Melbourne this year. The 30s-style cocktail and champagne bar first welcomed in patrons in July, but had to close after three days when new restrictions came into effect. It's holding a now-sold-out ticketed hour-long end-of-lockdown party. Indeed, given that 20-person caps are in place for all indoor dining (and 50-person caps for outdoors), seats for a late-night tipple tonight might be hard to come by. Unsurprisingly, plenty of people are super keen to say cheers to heading out of the house at the very first moment they can. Top image: Angus & Bon.
World, say hello to the ultimate marriage of fashion and fine dining: a Gucci restaurant helmed by none other than Massimo Bottura, chef and owner of three-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana. That's right, the internationally renowned high fashion label has forayed into the world of food, yesterday opening Gucci Osteria in the heart of Florence, Italy. Just as you'd expect, the 50 seater is a study in luxury, housed in the centuries-old Palazzo della Mercanzia building and with views across Piazza della Signoria. It forms part of the just-revealed lavish Gucci Garden, which also features a cinema room, a bazaar-style fashion boutique and exhibition spaces curated by fashion critic Maria Luisa Frisa. Diners at the all-day restaurant can expect to sit down to globally-inspired dishes like pork belly buns, Peruvian-style tostadas and Parmigiano Reggiano tortellini, dropping about €20–30 ($30–46 AUD) per plate. While it's hard to say how much he will be on the pans at this new location, Bottura says he drew inspiration from his travels when developing the lineup, mixing classic Italian flavours with clever, new-school twists. "Travelling the world, our kitchen interacts with everything we see, hear and taste," the chef explained. Gucci Osteria is the latest in a string of luxury fashion house food ventures, following the opening of Tiffany & Co's Blue Box Cafe in New York, and the announcement of parent company LMVH's plans for a second outpost of its gourmet Parisian grocery store La Grande Epicerie.
Power your house with a bottle of water. It's a claim reminiscent of the glory days of cold fusion. Like cold fusion, creating an artificial leaf and hacking the natural process of photosynthesis has long been a scientific holy grail. Unlike cold fusion, it seems someone has attained it. Daniel Nocera, a professor at MIT, has created a 'leaf' of silicon and a proprietary mix of cobalt and phosphate, which when placed in a jar of water can produce electricity more efficiently than modern solar panels. The yet-to-be-published findings will be a major scientific breakthrough, and a game-changer in the question of global power supply. India's largest business conglomeration, the Tata Group have bought the tech and plan to develop it to serve the "bottom of the pyramid" — being small, cheap, and able to run on even waste water, it is hoped that this will provide a clean and affordable way to power the developing world. Homes without access to power will be able to generate their own, foregoing the need to develop large power stations and electric cable infrastructure. As well as powering the development of the "bottom of the pyramid" the technology could change the face of power production and consumption worldwide. Nocera estimates that it will be possible to meet the world's power demands with little more than a swimming pool of water every day. [via Fast Company] https://youtube.com/watch?v=WD9yr-Bf-Kw
Being a film and television fan in 2018 means two things. Firstly, your viewing choices are seemingly endless, as anyone with a hefty streaming queue knows. Secondly, many of those viewing choices involve remakes of, sequels or prequels to, or other continuations of already existing hits. Just this year, we've learned that Veronica Mars and Daria are coming back to the small screen, The Lord of the Rings is being turned into a TV show and Game of Thrones is definitely getting a spin-off once the original series ends. Now, we can add Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and Deadwood films to the ever-growing list of properties that just keep on keepin' on. This week, news hit about all three popular series and their new feature-length additions. All three are being turned into movies in some shape or form, but it's a safe bet that those films are all still headed to a TV screen. Prepare to exclaim "yeah, science!" like Jesse Pinkman thanks to the return of Breaking Bad — which, as Better Call Saul diehards are well aware, has never completely gone away since the OG show wrapped up in 2013. As reported by Variety, creator Vince Gilligan is working on a two-hour film with the working title of Greenbriar, which will begin shooting this month. Bryan Cranston has confirmed the news, but just whether he's in it or what it's about is still the subject of rumour. Slashfilm advises that the movie will focus on Jesse, showing what came next for Walter White's former student and protege after Breaking Bad's finale. As for The Walking Dead, the long-running (and still-running) show is set to release a number of films about Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes, who led the series from its 2010 debut through to the fifth episode of the show's ninth season. Deadline reports that the movies will form part of The Walking Dead Universe, alongside other films, specials and series, plus digital content and more. The Walking Dead already has its own small-screen spin-off, Fear The Walking Dead — and the first Rick Grimes flick is expected to go into production in 2019. Finally, in news that'll make lovers of Deadwood want to down a celebratory shot of whisky, the three-season western series is coming back as a movie. Ever since the show was cancelled back in 2006, a film has been rumoured, but The Hollywood Reporter notes that it started filming this week. It'll be set ten years after the final season, with the story exploring a reunion of the show's characters. Original stars Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant, Molly Parker, Paula Malcomson, John Hawkes, Anna Gunn, W. Earl Brown, Dayton Callie, Brad Dourif, Robin Weigert, William Sanderson, Kim Dickens and Gerald McRaney are all reuniting for the series. Via Variety /Deadline / The Hollywood Reporter.
The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is last year's news, sadly. There's still two years to wait until Australia hosts the 2026 Women's Asian Cup. But 2024 is the year of the Paris Olympics — and in preparation for vying for gold, the Matildas are hitting the field Down Under. The country's national women's soccer team are playing two friendlies against China, the first in Adelaide on Friday, May 31 and the second in Sydney on Monday, June 3. And although both are sold out — giving the Tillies a massive 14 sellout games on home soil in a row — you can still tune in from home, or the pub, if you won't be in the South Australian or New South Wales capitals or haven't scored tickets. These are the Matildas' first games in Australia since the last match of the final Olympics qualifiers back in February. Taking place in Melbourne against Uzbekistan, that game turned out mighty well for the squad, resulting in a 10–0 scoreline their way and locking in a spot in Paris. This time, there's nothing but bragging rights on the line, but a Tillies game is still a Tillies game. To watch, 10Play and Paramount+ are your destinations — plus Network 10 on regular TV. Sam Kerr is injured, but the squad is filled with high-profile names, including Steph Catley donning the captain's armband, Ellie Carpenter as vice captain, and also everyone from Mackenzie Arnold, Alanna Kennedy, Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler and Kyra Cooney-Cross to Hayley Raso, Michelle Heyman, Cortnee Vine and Lydia Williams. Expect the latter to spend some time in goal, given that the legend of the game announced that she'll retire from international football following the Olympics. After this, the Tillies kick off their quest for a medal in Paris on Friday, July 26 at 3am Australian time, playing Germany. Their first-round draw also includes matches against Zambia and the USA. In-between, you can get another Matildas fix via documentary Trailblazers, which hits Stan on Tuesday, June 4 — and if you're in Sydney on Monday, June 10, at a Vivid 2024 talk with Mackenzie Arnold and Tony Gustavsson. The Matildas vs China PR Friendlies 2024: Friday, May 31 — 8.10pm AEST / 7.40pm ACST / 6.10pm AWST Monday, June 3 — 7.40pm AEST / 7.10pm ACST / 5.10pm AWST The Matildas' friendlies against in China PR take place on Friday, May 31 and Monday, June 3, 2024— and you can watch via 10, 10Bold, 10Play and Paramount+. Images: Tiffany Williams, Football Australia.
Taylor Swift is inviting fans around the world to step inside her new era with Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, an 89-minute cinematic event celebrating the launch of her 12th studio album The Life of a Showgirl. The feature offers a mix of firsts — including the debut of the 'The Fate of Ophelia' music video, new lyric videos, behind-the-scenes footage and personal reflections from Swift herself. The global release kicks off at 3pm US time on Friday, October 3, which translates to early morning on Saturday, October 4 in Australia. Screenings will run nationwide across the long weekend, from Saturday through Monday, October 6. Australian Swifties can catch the film at Event Cinemas, Hoyts, Dendy, Village Cinemas and Palace Cinemas, with both city and regional locations taking part. Demand has been so high that Event Cinemas has already added extra sessions. "We've got our Swifties covered with screenings of Taylor Swift: The Life of a Showgirl across our Event Cinemas in both Australia and New Zealand this coming weekend," a spokesperson said. "Tickets are flying faster than a Reputation track drop, with presale numbers already at number one for the upcoming long weekend." It follows the blockbuster success of The Eras Tour film, which became the highest-grossing concert film of all time after earning more than £260 million globally. Find your nearest screening and tickets to Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl Images: Getty Images
A staple of Melbourne's cultural calendar for more than half a century, the Sidney Myer Free Concerts are back for another year. Held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the latest shows in this long-standing favourite series span two performances from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Whether you're a classical music buff or just want to stretch out with a picnic on the grass, there's a reason that these concerts have become a beloved summertime tradition. The 2025 series kicks off on Saturday, February 15 with tunes by Dvořák, Gershwin and Ravel — and with the MSO Chief Conductor Jaime Martín leading the show. Expect Dvořák's Third Symphony to start, then Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue performed by pianist Andrea Lam, then Ravel's Boléro. On Saturday, February 22, it's time to showcase Australia's up-and-coming talents when the Melbourne Youth Orchestra gets things started. After that, the MSO led by Benjamin Northey will pair two 20th-century orchestral masterpieces with two world-premiere works — so Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto and Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra, before Klearhos Murphy and James Henry unveil their latest compositions. Both performances begin at 7.30pm; however, gates open at 4.30pm. With no tickets required, this is a first-in kind of affair, so arriving early to nab your best spot is highly recommended. Can't make it in person? The MSO will also livestream the two gigs on each evening. Images: Mark Gambino / Laura Manariti.
Australian grime fans have been dealt a disappointing blow: Stromzy has announced he is cancelling his highly anticipated upcoming tour. The UK sensation was set to grace Australian shores later this year on the much-delayed H.I.T.H World Tour alongside a run of festival dates as the headliner for Spilt Milk, but has confirmed in a statement released through the festival that he has pulled out of all of his international tour dates for the remainder of 2022. "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to inform you guys that due to circumstances beyond my control, I must cancel international commitments for the remainder of the year which includes my Australian and New Zealand tour," said Stormzy. "You guys have waited so patiently and I am so sorry that this has to happen after all these ups and downs. I love you guys and I promise I will be back as soon as I can with a show that's bigger and better than ever." Originally scheduled for 2020 before being pushed back multiple times for pandemic-related reasons, the run of dates was finally supposed to kick off in Perth on Wednesday, November 23, before hitting Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Wellington and Auckland, as well as Ballarat, Canberra and the Gold Coast with Spilt Milk. While losing Stormzy is a huge blow for the festival, Spilt Milk has come through with another exciting international headliner in his place. Highly influential Grammy-nominated indie-pop singer and one of 2022's biggest breakout stars Steve Lacy has been added to the lineup for all three Spilt Milk dates. An original member of the popular funk and soul group The Internet, Lacy has worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Solange and Tyler, the Creator. Following solo success with his debut album Apollo XXI as well as singles like 'Dark Red' which you've almost certainly heard on TikTok, the Californian singer-songwriter has found huge mainstream success this year with the release of his album Gemini Rights and its lead single ' Bad Habits' which currently sits at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Alongside his appearances at Spilt Milk, Lacy has also announced a run of headline dates across the east coast of Australia. He'll be popping up at Melbourne's The Forum on Tuesday, November 22, The Tivoli in Brisbane on Tuesday, November 23 and Sydney's Enmore Theatre on Monday, November 28. Due to the lineup change, Spilt Milk will be offering refunds for anyone who requests one via Moshtix before 5pm Thursday, October 4. After that, you can also pop your tickets up for sale on the festival's resale facility. Those that want to head along to catch Lacy alongside previously announced acts like Flume, The Wombats, Spacey Jane, G Flip, Fisher and Peach PRC can access tickets via the Moshtix resale. Tickets for Steve Lacy's solo shows will go on sale via the Frontier Members pre-sale at 9am local time on Tuesday, October 4, before the general public tickets go on sale on Wednesday, October 5. [caption id="attachment_851188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] Stormzy has cancelled his run of Australian and New Zealand shows including his appearances at Spilt Milk. Refunds for Spilt Milk are available via Moshtix until 5pm, Thursday, October 4.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQKaZS9bK5U BLACKBIRD Helming an English-language remake of 2014 Danish film Silent Heart, director Roger Michel realises a crucial fact: if you're going to amass a cast that includes Kate Winslet (Ammonite), Mia Wasikowska (Judy & Punch), Sam Neill (Rams), Lindsay Duncan (Made in Italy), Rainn Wilson (The Meg) and Susan Sarandon (The Jesus Rolls), you need to give every single actor something weighty to do. So, working with a script written by Christian Torpe (TV's The Mist), as the original feature also did, the Notting Hill, Le Week-End and My Cousin Rachel filmmaker ensures that his high-profile cast members all get their time in the spotlight in the dialogue-heavy Blackbird. Their lesser-known co-stars Anson Boon (1917) and Bex Taylor-Klaus (13 Reasons Why) are similarly given their moments. As an ensemble effort, this illness-driven family reunion drama makes the most of its on-screen talent — and that remains the primarily by-the-numbers movie's biggest achievement as it endeavours to balance its weepie premise with its increasingly heated war of words. Playing characters who have been brought together in immensely difficult circumstances, and who each weather a predictable grab-bag of troubles once they're all in the same place for a weekend, Blackbird's lineup does always stress its work (no one here is overly subtle here), but they also help breathe feeling into a feature that'd be a far lesser affair without them. Winslet's high-strung angst, Wasikowska's baked-in melancholy and Neill's calm facade come in particularly handy, with the trio playing Jennifer, Anna and Paul — the chalk-and-cheese daughters and doting husband of the ailing Lily (Sarandon). Along with Jennifer's spouse Michael (Wilson) and son Jonathan (Boon), Anna's girlfriend Chris (Taylor-Klaus) and Lily's lifelong best friend Liz (Duncan), they've all gathered for one last hurrah. Terminally ill with a degenerative condition and unwilling to endure the worsening effects that are still certain to come, Lily wants to spend a few days farewelling her nearest and dearest at the well-appointed family home. Whether relatives come together for Christmas or for teary goodbyes (both of which apply here in their own ways), films about the concept never miss an opportunity to let sparks fly. With such heightened emotions whirring around during Lily's last days, that's forcefully, noticeably the case here. Blackbird makes the astute point that everyone has pain and secrets, even when they're facing the loss of a loved one, but that observation has become well-worn by the movie's many predecessors. Also routine is the movie's magazine-style visual sheen. If it wasn't for the sharp performances, watching this sometimes-moving picture would largely feel like simply looking at famous faces workshop trauma in a scenic letting. The feature's visuals are meant to isolate its characters against their eye-catching setting, but often it just loiters rather than meaningfully lingers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqoyVcrX_lA BOSS LEVEL Being a fan of time loop films can sometimes feel like being stuck in one yourself, especially when the genre's overly derivative entries reach screens. At their best, movies about repeating the same events over and over again call attention to life's small joys, its pervasive chaos or a combination of both. At their worst, such flicks use the concept as an empty gimmick to prop up an otherwise flimsy narrative. Boss Level veers in both directions at times. There's a cannily cathartic bent to the onslaught of destruction that comes its protagonist's way every time he awakens, all thanks to a horde of bloodthirsty assassins intent on ending his existence. Like Groundhog Day's Phil Connors at his most nihilistic, the film embraces the fact that life is carnage, literalising the idea as action movies do. But, as directed by Joe Carnahan (The Grey, The A-Team) and co-written by the filmmaker with Chris and Eddie Borey (Open Grave), Boss Level also attempts to paper over a slight narrative with rhythmically choreographed punches, bullets, swords and stunts, plus greeting card-level life lessons. It's exactly as straightforward as it sounds, and as standard. And, even for viewers unacquainted with Source Code, Edge of Tomorrow, the Happy Death Day franchise and Palm Springs, the film always feels as if it's following in better footsteps, including via sci-fi decor that could've stepped right out of Stargate and fight scenes that've taken inspiration from the John Wick series. Indeed, the movie's titular reference to video games isn't its only overt nod elsewhere. An ex-special forces soldier who now counts drowning his sorrows and bedding women he meets in bars as his main pastimes, Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo, Jiu Jitsu) has endured the same day 139 times when Boss Level begins. Through pithy narration, he explains the ins and outs of his new routine, where a flying blade acts like an alarm clock each and every morning, and the murderous foes just keep coming from there. Although yet to ascertain why he's been forced into this brutal cycle, Roy is beginning to suspect that it's linked to his ex-wife Jemma Wells (Naomi Watts, Penguin Bloom), who oversees a shadowy project for a sinister corporation led by the ominous Colonel Clive Ventor (Mel Gibson, Fatman). Roy and Jemma have a teenage son (debutant Rio Grillo) together, which complicates matters — because the former has hardly been a doting dad, adding to his regrets; and because the video game-loving kid also gives him something to lose. Like the most formulaic of side scrollers, Boss Level's highlights stem from its action scenes, rather than any story that's meant to fill in the gaps around them. That said, all those frenetic fists, kicks and weapons are helped by the elder Grillo, who has long screamed for more big-screen attention. Indeed, in a cast that also includes Michelle Yeoh (Last Christmas) and Ken Jeong (Occupation: Rainfall), he's the only one that isn't just aping what the movie does more often than not and simply going through the motions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=95&v=sf2EzBQiTr8&feature=emb_logo BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD'S A LITTLE BLURRY When documentaries such as Amy and Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck peered into the private lives of their very public central figures, they also gave rise to a clear realisation: without treasure troves of home videos and personal materials, all prophetically recorded and kept by their subjects and their loved ones long before they were stars, these films simply could not be made. That'll remain true of movies that look back at famous faces from times gone by (as seen in the recent Zappa), but Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry definitely doesn't give off the same sensation. For today's top talents, the notion that it's lucky such footage even exists to give rise to a documentary has become out of date. It's now a given that almost anyone with even a sniff of fame — let alone musicians who've won five Grammys, topped Triple J's Hottest 100, notched up a number one album and single, and sung a Bond theme, all while still in their teens — will have recorded every aspect of their existence. And, it's also just a fact of life that such a tendency won't have begun with their ascending popularity. Accordingly, The World's a Little Blurry does indeed have a wealth of material at its disposal, but this latest addition to the ever-growing pop star documentary genre doesn't feel like a revelation, a peek behind the facade, or a rare candid look at someone usually seen through music videos, concerts and formal interviews. That's the other thing about celebrities today: their social media feeds already give fans a window into their worlds, and even helped catapult them to success, so the documentaries that inevitably follow can come across as more of the same. Starting with the recording of When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? — which, yes, happened in her brother Finneas O'Connell's bedroom — The World's a Little Blurry perfectly fits the now-recognisable musician doco mould. From the moment that 'Bad Guy' became the ubiquitous track of 2019, a movie about Eilish was always bound to find its way to audiences, and to play out as this RJ Cutler (The September Issue, Belushi)-directed effort does. Raw, frank, relatable, accessible and even playful, the film adopts the same tone that's become synonymous with pop star Twitter and Instagram feeds. With Eilish's record label among the feature's producers, it's as rubber-stamped and carefully constructed as celebrity social media accounts are as well. That doesn't make The World's a Little Blurry any less engaging, or strip away the power of watching Eilish be herself for 140 minutes, but viewers are always seeing the sanctioned warts-and-all version of the documentary's point of focus (and, when she feels like it, the hamming-it-up-for-the-cameras version as well). Even just spanning a couple of years, the feature nonetheless provides a thorough snapshot of its subject's life, including her dislike of songwriting, the process of finishing the album, multiple tours, her Coachella set and the Grammys, plus her around-the-house behaviour, her rapport with her brother and parents, her romantic ups and downs, and her quest to get her drivers license. What resonates strongest, however, is one of the other influences behind the film's existence. Eilish's well-known love of Justin Bieber provides the movie's most illuminating thread, especially seeing the former start sobbing when she meets the latter. She was a big fan of Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, too, as her mother explains — and now, she has a matching movie. Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry is currently screening in select cinemas, and is also available to stream via Apple TV+. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, December 17, December 26; and January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11 and February 18. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky, The Furnace, Wonder Woman 1984, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters and The Little Things.
While those clever kids at Apple may one day run out of ideas, that doesn't look like it's happening anytime soon. The world's first trillion dollar company is clearly putting all that money to good use, unveiling its latest iPhone creations in California overnight. As always, it has upped the ante, dropping three new phones with a stack of bells and whistles that render your old iPhone X instantly uncool. As well as producing its biggest iPhone screen yet, Apple's ramped up the facial ID tech, unveiled an all-new Liquid Retina display and even engineered a fancy-pants dual camera system. Here are eight details about the new iPhone XS (pronounced 'ten ess') in dot point form that you can use for prime water cooler convo at work today. IT HAS THE LARGEST DISPLAY OF ANY IPHONE, EVER While the iPhone XS' screen clocks in at a pretty healthy 5.8 inches, the XS Max takes the cake with a 6.5-inch display — the biggest ever on an iPhone model. Basically, it makes your iPhone 8 look tiny by comparison. Team that with the highest pixel density of any Apple device and colour density to rival all other brands, and you've got yourself some pretty good on-phone video viewing. THERE'S A SWAG OF NEW COLOURS TO CHOOSE FROM That's right, folks — things are getting extra colourful in Apple town. Alongside the usual black and white, the XR (more on what this is later) is also available in bright blue, yellow, red and coral. The iPhone XS and XS Max keep things a little tamer, in space grey, silver and Apple's first plain gold-hued edition. IT'S SERIOUSLY TOUGH , WITH THE MOST DURABLE GLASS EVER DEVELOPED FOR A SMARTPHONE If broken phone screens are the bane of your existence, then the new iPhone XR was pretty much made for you. Boasting the most durable front glass display ever seen in any smartphone, it's precision-fitted, water-resistant up to one metre for 30 minutes, and laughs in the face of those coffee spills. IT HAS PORTRAIT MODE ON THE BACK AND FRONT CAMERAS Get ready to take your selfie game to a whole new level, with the iPhone XS' super high-tech dual camera system. This beauty has portrait mode on both the back camera and the front true-depth camera, with both enabling facial detection and landmarking. What's more, new technology means you can now adjust your snap's depth of field after the photo's taken. FACE ID IS HEAPS FASTER Now that we've all gotten used to the idea of unlocking our phones with only our eyeballs, Apple's honed its original Face ID technology, apparently making it faster and easier to use. A swag of new tech has made it even more secure, too, while advanced machine learning means it's smart enough to recognise changes to your appearance. IT TAKES LONGER TO DIE In excellent news for those fed up with lugging a charger everywhere they go, the iPhone XS Max is kitted out with iPhone's biggest battery ever, offering up to 90 minutes more battery life than any other phone you've had. IT'S REALLY REALLY PRICEY While the points above all sound great, they do, the whiz-bang new XS is gonna set you back a few dollaroos — 1629 dollaroos to be exact. Well, that's the starting price. The cool $1629 will get you a phone with 64GB, but f you want 512GB, you'll need to drop $2199. [caption id="attachment_688269" align="alignnone" width="1920"] iPhone XR[/caption] BUT APPLE HAS ALSO RELEASED A NEW AND CHEAPER OPTION It's called the iPhone XR, and in terms of size, it's in between the X and XS, but it's cheaper — $1229 — because it has a single rear camera, an aluminium frame and LCD screen. As mentioned above, it's also available in a heap more colours: white, black, blue, yellow, coral and red. If you this one, though, you'll need to wait a tad longer — it won't be available until October 26. The iPhone XS will be available from September 21, and keen beans can pre-order from September 14 here.
Gardening enthusiasts will be able to spend even more time with Mother Nature in this wonderful garden shed, a collaboration between architect Ville Hara and designer, Linda Bergroth. While greenhouses are usually inhabited by plants, this one is nice enough for you to sleep amongst the greenery. A prototype built at Bergorth's summer cottage in eastern Finland features a wooden floor and solar panels for power lighting. Bergroth also added a mattress so that the greenhouse can become a spare bedroom during the summertime, when she wakes up overlooking the water. Safety glass windows line the walls and roof, and have automatic openers to control the temperature inside. The back of the garden shed features a storage compartment where all tools can be placed compactly. Surprisingly, this entire garden shed can be assembled using a screwdriver. This neat piece of architectural innovation proves that simplicity is often the key.
Gotta love this grass-roots, crowd-sourced internet art project. Corpus Libris is an ongoing photo essay on books and the bodies that love them, in which participants create visually quirky creations by superimposing images of the human body found on book covers over their own bodies. Creator of the project Emily Pullen says "It began as a fun little photo essay on a Thursday night while working at Skylight Books in Los Angeles. As we kept going and going, I realized that many, many more people could enjoy and create similar photographs. The possibilities are practically endless!" The most successful images strike a balance of perspective, positioning the book so the image is the same size as the human holding it – check them out below: [Via Flavorwire]
One of the enduring joys of staring at a screen, big or small, is the nifty knack that movies and TV shows can have for delivering treasures viewers didn't know they needed. We should've realised we had to see Michelle Yeoh hop across dimensions to save the world before Everything Everywhere All At Once arrived, for instance. We should've gleaned that Timothée Chalamet would make a compelling cannibal prior to Bones and All, too. And, it should've been obvious that Adam Scott plunging into an office nightmare would be instantly addictive viewing, but it took Severance to make it plain. Now, Shrinking joins the list by giving the world what we've truly been lacking: a delightfully gruff Harrison Ford co-starring in a kind-hearted sitcom. Creating this therapist-focused series for Apple TV+ — with its first two episodes hitting on Friday, January 27, and the remainder of the ten-episode first season dropping week by week afterwards — Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein and Jason Segel didn't miss Shrinking's immediate potential, though. Lawrence and Goldstein add the show to their roster alongside Ted Lasso, which the former also co-created, and the latter stars in as the also wonderfully gruff Roy Kent to Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning effect. It too bathes in warmth amid chaos, all while understanding, exploring and accepting its characters as the flawed folks we all are. As for Segel, he's no stranger to playing the type of super-enthusiastic and super-earnest figure he inhabits again here, as seen in Freaks and Geeks and How I Met Your Mother. If Ted Lasso downplayed the soccer, instead emphasising the psychologist chats that were a pivotal part of season two, Shrinking would be the end result. Also, if Scrubs, another of Lawrence's sitcoms, followed doctors specialising in mental health rather than working in a hospital, Shrinking would also be the outcome. It's worth remembering that Scrubs featured a very funny and clever nod to Ford, which likely makes his casting here a dream come true for Lawrence. Round up all of these familiar elements, details brought over from elsewhere and past references, and Shrinking turns them into a series that's thoughtful, supremely entertaining, well-cast and well-crafted — and an engaging and easy watch. Ford is the biggest name among Shrinking's many recognisable faces, because a career forever tied to the Blade Runner, Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises will do that, but he's in supporting mode. Segel (Windfall) leads the show as Jimmy Laird, a therapist who is initially seen waking up his empty-nester neighbour Liz (Christa Miller, a Scrubs alum and also Lawrence's wife) in the deep of night while hanging out with sex workers and self-medicating around his backyard pool. She's not mad, however, because he's been like this for some time — and she's been helping keep his life running, primarily by being a surrogate parent for his teenage daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell, Generation). A year back, Jimmy's wife Tia (Lilan Bowden, Murderville) passed away; saying that he's struggling to cope is an understatement. As overused and irritating as the dead-wife trope is — men can flounder all by themselves without a deceased spouse to blame — Shrinking thankfully unpacks the concept. It explores how Jimmy's all-or-nothing attitude has always been part of his persona, questions his idealised view of his marriage, and establishes that his faults weren't suddenly sparked by going through what nobody ever wants to. Co-scripting as well, Lawrence, Goldstein and Segel also ensure that Shrinking examines how loss affects more than just middle-aged white men unexpectedly without wives, courtesy of not just Alice but also Jimmy's colleague and Tia's best friend Gaby (Jessica Williams, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore). And, while never underplaying the existence-altering weight of grief, it spies how everyone is the sum of their best and worst experiences, including Jimmy and Gaby's boss Paul (Ford, The Call of the Wild), Liz, Jimmy's estranged pal Brian (Michael Urie, Younger) and Jimmy's patients. Shrinking isn't called Shrinking without capturing its therapists in action; add it to the pile of recent fare, such as The Patient and The Shrink Next Door, that jump on and off the couch. Shrinking's twist: after taking his Liz-interrupted evening as a wakeup call, and attempting to work through his mourning and be an attentive dad again, he decides to ignore ethics, get frank and shower his patients with tough truths. Tired of discussing their woes endlessly without seeing changes, and suffering from compassion fatigue, he makes drastic moves — threatening not to be Grace's (Heidi Gardner, Saturday Night Live) shrink any longer if she doesn't leave her abusive husband, for example, and taking new patient Sean (Luke Tennie, CSI: Vegas), a young war veteran with anger issues who'll soon be living in Jimmy's pool house, to box out his feelings in the ring. Both sweetness and melancholy linger in Shrinking as it finds as many ways as it can to layer in one of therapy's key takeaways: that working through everything that life throws your way, and also working on yourself in the process, is never simple. Talk reigns supreme, whether Jimmy is desperately trying to get back on Alice's good side, Alice is confiding in Paul instead, Paul makes what he says count, Gaby gets drawn deeper into Jimmy's dramas or Sean is endeavouring to move on from his military service while avoiding confronting its impact. An embracing, cosy, feel-good vibe radiates, too — in a series that's another hearty hug, as Ted Lasso is, but one that's sharper about the pain that everyone carries for their own multitude of reasons. Shrinking could've just gifted viewers Ford's second-ever regular small-screen role in his almost six-decade career — arriving swiftly after his first in Yellowstone prequel 1923, in fact — and been happy coasting on Ford's presence. He's unsurprisingly exceptional, and wanting more of his no-nonsense but soft-hearted veteran shrink if a second season eventuates springs exactly as expected going in. He's pitch-perfect as the show's resident grump, and at fleshing out the reasons why. He's fragile when diving into Paul's own troubles and regrets, warmly wise dispensing advice to Jimmy and Alice, and hilarious when he's getting blunt and also singing terrible tunes. And he's just one terrific component that makes Shrinking click, alongside knowing that being alive is constantly juggling an array of components and making the most of whatever you can. Check out the trailer for Shrinking below: Shrinking streams via Apple TV+ from Friday, January 27.
Unsurprisingly, Paul Feig has had Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' stuck in his head for some time. Given that the Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters and A Simple Favour director's latest film is a festive rom-com based on the well-known 1980s hit, and uses 14 other songs by the late, great George Michael, that comes with the territory. "It never goes away — but in a great way," he explains. Feig isn't complaining. "The funny thing is that, when you're working on a Christmas movie, your entire year is Christmas," he says. "So, in the middle of May, when you're singing 'Last Christmas' while you're walking down the street, you're like, 'this is weird'. But now it all comes full circle and you're like, 'I'm all set!'." Starring Emilia Clarke as down-on-her-luck Londoner Kate, and Henry Golding as the handsome stranger who turns her life upside down — again, in a good way — Last Christmas isn't Feig's first Yuletide-themed movie. That honour goes to 2006's Unaccompanied Minors, although considering the higher-profile titles on his resume (he created cult TV series Freaks and Geeks, featured on-screen in the 90s version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and also helmed The Heat and Spy), it's hardly his calling card. Indeed, based on his past experience on that feature, he didn't particularly want to make another Christmas movie. But Feig is a seasonal film fan. His favourite picture of all time: It's A Wonderful Life. Guided by his background in the genre, his love of watching Christmas movies himself, and a witty script co-penned by Emma Thompson (after he almost directed her in Late Night), Last Christmas is his attempt to add a new perennial go-to to everyone's end-of-year viewing lists. With recently Feig visiting Australia to promote the release of the movie, we chatted with the filmmaker about all things festive on-screen, creating a "warm hug" of a movie and championing funny women — among other topics. ON RETURNING TO THE CHRISTMAS GENRE "It was really Emma Thompson's script. Honestly, I didn't want to do another Christmas movie — and she said, 'oh I've got this script together, you should read it and we should do it'. And I was like, 'oh how exciting, it's Emma Thompson'. And then you open it up and it says Last Christmas and you're like, 'oh no, it's a Christmas movie'. But it was so good. My favourite movie in the world is It's A Wonderful Life, and to me, this had elements of that. It had elements of just every rom-com I've ever loved, too. And also it had this great lead character in Kate, who's this very challenging woman who is not behaving the way that women are normally meant to act in these movies. And Emma's writing was so smart and so honest about this woman that I couldn't not do it." ON THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A CHRISTMAS MOVIE "[On Unaccompanied Minors] I learned that a Christmas movie needs to have a lot of layers. It needs to really have emotion — and characters that people relate to, and feel that the kind of issues that come around Christmas sort are filtering through them. Those layers are what gives you depth and reality. Here, Last Christmas is not only about a women surviving a catastrophic illness, but it's also an immigrant story. And that really appealed to me — this displaced family who were doing well in their country and, because of a war, had to flee, and now they've ended up in this big city where they can't do what they normally did, and how they're all damaged by that. None of us set out to make a political movie, but at the same time, if you're going to make a film about an immigrant family in London in 2017, they are going to be affected by Brexit. It's going to affect their psyche. I really liked that that layer was in there, but not in a way of just being preachy or being anti-anything — just saying 'look, these are the consequences of how people feel because of these things'." ON TRYING TO MAKE A FILM THAT VIEWERS WILL REVISIT EVERY YEAR "You definitely think about it. It's funny — when I made Unaccompanied Minors, I'd never made a Christmas movie before. So you kind of go is 'well, the great thing about this is it's going to be a movie that people are going to watch every year, and it's going to become a favourite, a perennial!'. And then you find out that that's not true. There are a tonne of Christmas movies, and a lot of them are very forgettable. A lot of them just sort of disappear and don't make that once-a-year list. If you look at that list, it's incredibly small. So I just realised that you can't take it for granted, and you just really have to make the best movie you can. Again, it's all about the characters and story. That's the only reason that any movie works. But you also make it, as Emma calls this movie, 'a warm hug' — that, visually, it's got this beauty of Christmas to it, and it's got this happy, lovely glow. I wanted to make Last Christmas something you'd want to revisit, hopefully not just at Christmas time, but definitely when Christmas rolls around — to make it one of these things that you have warm memories about and makes you feel good. Because no Christmas movie doesn't make you feel good at the end. Maybe Black Christmas or some horror movie. Even then, I think probably the protagonist wins and defeats evil. I remember when I first saw It's A Wonderful Life in film school — and saying that if I could make a movie that makes me feel the way that I do at the end of that movie, if I could do that on my own, then I would be very happy. I definitely feel like, for me, our movie gives you that same world of feeling." ON THE CHRISTMAS MOVIES HE REVISITS AGAIN AND AGAIN "Love Actually is such a great one, because it's so uplifting. I love watching that because I can never get over what a master feat Richard Curtis did juggling all those stories in a way that you follow them all and care about them all — that's the hardest thing in the world. But then, I like Die Hard. I think that's a great Christmas movie. I know there's a lot of controversy — people say it's not a Christmas movie, but I'm on the 'it's a Christmas movie' side. And it ends with 'Let it Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!'!" ON CHAMPIONING WOMEN IN COMEDY — AND WEATHERING THE DEBATE SURROUNDING GHOSTBUSTERS "It just shows you how ridiculous and how behind the times Hollywood has been for so long — the fact that we're still arguing that. Especially about should women be in certain franchises or roles and all that kind of thing. But the most onerous part is just the 'are women funny or not?' question. You just have to scratch your head and go 'what year are we in? Is it 100 years in the past? Have I stumbled into a time machine or something?'. It's not even a valid question, but people still seem to bring it up. How many times can we disprove it? How many hilarious women can there be before people wake up. But I think it's the same thing as, when I talk to people and they go, 'oh, the food in London is terrible'. And I say, 'when was the last time you were in London?'. And they go, 'well 20 years ago'. That's the dumbest thing. You're just saying some stupid thing and passing along some trope that you heard somebody else say, and it doesn't even make any sense. So yeah, it's crazy." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co5jWMYsr34 Last Christmas is now screening in Australian cinemas — read our full review.
Dying to grow your own food but failed to take the agriculture elective in high school? Been green with envy, eyeing off new apartment blocks' vertical gardens, yet don't know where to start when it comes to greening up your own home? You've come to the right place. As increasing the flower, fruit and foliage content of our urban lives becomes more and more desirable, so too does the technology enabling it. Read on to discover five systems for apartment gardening that'll have your place biodiversify-ing like the Amazon in no time — even if you've never planted a seed or picked out a weed in your life. SproutsIO If you're handier with your smartphone than you are with a trowel, SproutsIO could well be for you. Consisting of a network of pods, each home to a separate plant, it functions according to the commands of a mobile app, which works through both Android and iOS devices. There's no soil involved. Instead, oxygen and nutrients are delivered via mist, with special censors ensuring that light, humidity and temperature remain at optimum levels. According to creator Jennifer Broutin Farah, SproutsIO's productivity levels are up to six times higher than those generated by traditional soil-based methods. Currently nearing production; on-sale date TBC. Windowfarm This vertical, bioponic solution does exactly what its name suggests — transforms your window into a farm that would do Old McDonald proud. A reservoir at the base of the Windowfarm pumps nutrient-filled water upwards, feeding each plant's roots, which are protected not by soil but by a 'nest' comprised of clay pellets, coconut hair and rice hulls. US$199 for a one-column starter bundle at store.windowfarms.com Aqualibrium This isn't just an apartment garden: it's a fish tank and farm, combined. Made possible by a successful Kickstarter campaign, Aqualibrium works according to the principles of aquaponics. The fish create nutrients, which are cycled upwards to feed the plants, while the plants soak up the nutrients and send fresh, clean water downwards. If fish aren't your thing, you can replace them with pre-bottled nutrients, thereby transforming Aqualibrium into a hydroponics system. From US$300 at shop.aqualibrium.com Bitponics Want home-grown vegetables but simply don't have time to attend to them? At all? Bitponics is a fully automated hydroponics system that can run an entire season of gardening via the Cloud. Everything — including pH, light, water, temperature and humidity — is measured and regulated by wi-fi responsive sensors. $9/month per garden. Sign-ups coming soon at bitponics.com. String gardens They might not be as productive or automated as some of the fancy systems already discussed, but they have plenty of other advantages. They're cheap; they look cool and you can make them with your own two hands — from scratch.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we hop aboard PS Emmylou on the Murray River. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? According to the PS Emmylou team, this is the world's only accommodated woodfire paddle steamer. You'll slowly float along the Murray River in this newly kitted-out boat, stopping off at small towns and natural sites to do some light exploring. It has to be one of the very best ways to see this part of Australia. THE ROOMS There are just eight luxe cabins on board the PS Emmylou — it's a proper small-group cruise. You can either opt for the twin cabins with two single beds or one of the double or queen cabins. Each of these is above deck and comes with its own ensuite bathroom, wifi, aircon and windows to let the fresh country air right into your room. There's also one larger suite (that you can book on the Concrete Playground Trips website) with double doors opening directly onto the verandah, where you can relax with a drink in hand and take in the ambience as you cruise the Murray River. This is for those wanting the full luxury experience. FOOD AND DRINK At the back of the paddle steamer, you'll find a covered deck that's set up for meals every day. Whenever you dine, stunning views will surround you. And there are stacks of great meals included. In the morning, you can fill up on a full English Breakfast or go continental — tucking into pastries, cereals and fresh fruit. Your caffeine fix is also sorted with barista-made coffee included. The onboard chef also makes a daily morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea for all the guests, ensuring your belly won't grumble at any part of the trip. Then there are the special multi-course dinners celebrating local produce (with house wine and beers also included). And depending on the itinerary you choose, you can experience gourmet picnics and riverside barbeque dinners under the stars — with live entertainment. [caption id="attachment_894062" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kayaking on the Murray River, Barmah National Park. DNSW.[/caption] THE LOCAL AREA There are two itinerary options available to those who jump aboard the PS Emmylou, taking you to the same parts of the Murray River region but spending more or less time at each. The three-day cruise starts at Echuca and stops off at Layfield Lane, Deep Creek Marina and Torrumbarry Weir. You'll be taken for tastings at Morrisons Riverside Winery and get a tour of the lush Pericoota Station gardens. Plenty of nature hikes are also available. There's also the seven-day cruise. This begins and ends at Torrumbarry Weir. It hits the same spots as the shorter cruise but takes more time to explore each part — that means you can go deeper into the remote areas on guided tours and hikes (and sneak in a few more cultural experiences and winery visits). THE EXTRAS This is an all-inclusive cruise. Return V/Line train fares to Echuca and local transfers to and from the boat are included as well as all your meals, coffee, alcohol and local guided tours. You'll also save about $500 when you book the three-day cruise through Concrete Playground Trips in the spacious Queen Suite. This deal gives you a pretty great reason to jump on board PS Emmylou and explore the mighty Murray River region in total comfort. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Images: DNSW
If you can't choose between spending your spare time hitting up a music festival or enjoying a Sunshine State getaway, then Queensland Music Trails likely became your favourite event when it first held a trial run back in 2021. This statewide festival turns heading to see live music into a massive road trip, with different legs sprawling through different parts of the state — and it'll be back in 2023. The fest's big return this year was announced back in 2022, which was already excellent news. Now, event organisers are getting to the even better stuff, aka lineup details. Among the first contingent: Lime Cordiale, CW Stoneking & His Primitive Horn Orchestra, Hatchie, Emma Donovan & The Putbacks and Sycco. [caption id="attachment_814672" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] Queensland Music Trails' bill so far covers trails in the outback, Scenic Rim and southern Queensland, including stops everywhere from St George and Charleville to Canungra and Jimbour. While the full details for each leg haven't yet been unveiled, each route varies in length — the outback trail running for nine days from Thursday, April 13–Friday, April 21; Scenic Rim's for three days across Friday, April 28–Sunday, April 30; and the southern leg for three days from Friday, May 5–Sunday, May 7. Keen on heading to Queensland's west? Then you can choose between Hussy Hicks, Karl S Williams and Jem Cassar-Daley at Oasis Afternoon in St George — or Emma Donavan & the Putbacks and Alice Skye at the Outback River Lights Festival in Cunnamulla. There's also C.W. Stoneking & His Primitive Horn Orchestra, Everybody NOW! and The Pacific Belles at The Big Base Party in Charleville; Harry James Angus and The Barleyshakes Duo at The Sundowner in Tambo; and a whole on-the-road series of gigs with The Barleyshakes Duo, too. So far, the Scenic Rim trail will welcome back The Long Sunset for a second year, hitting up Canungra on Saturday, April 29 with Lime Cordiale, Hatchie, Sycco and Tia Gostelow — and more to be announced. And, on the southern trail, there's the also-returning Opera at Jimbour for three days, featuring talent from Opera Queensland, Ensemble Q and the Griffith University Conservatorium of Music Orchestra. Still on opera, an entire festival dedicated to it — the Festival of Outback Opera, in fact — returns from Tuesday, May 16–Monday, May 22. At present, it features a long lunch and dark-sky serenade in Winton, plus an evening of singing and an opera ball in Longreach. This fest within the fest hasn't been put in a specific trail, but journeying to Winton and Longreach (and between them) works as its own route. More details, acts and events are still to be announced, as part of a fest that was initially slated to cover huge music gigs and festivals held at 25 locations around Queensland — also heading to Quilpie, Toowoomba, Roma and Blackall, Longreach and Winton. Now expected to arrive further down the road, with no further specifics so far, are trails in the far north, along the reef, in Brisbane, and through both the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. If 2022's plans stick, the first will span Paronella Park, Yarrabah, Cairns, Barron Gorge, Kuranda and Mossman/Port Douglas, while the second will hit up Mackay, Proserpine, Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island, Bowen and Townsville. And, the Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast trails are obviously self-explanatory. [caption id="attachment_857800" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] An initiative of QMF (Queensland Music Festival), Queensland Music Trails is returning thanks to a $20-million investment by the Queensland Government over the first three years. "The Queensland Music Trails are a key step to building Queensland's cultural events so we are ready to host the world in 2032 for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe. "It's exciting to see QMF partner with key Queensland artists and arts organisations to collaborate on signature cultural events that will be integrated into Qld Music Trails, including a visual arts tour with Arts Queensland funded Flying Arts Alliance, and Festival of Outback Opera and Opera at Jimbour with Opera Queensland who are also supported through the arts portfolio," added Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch. [caption id="attachment_887098" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Big Red Bash[/caption] Queensland Music Trails return for 2023 from April — head to the event's website for more information. Images: Katrina Lehmann / Mitch Lowe.
We all know them, the mad-keen foodie that just loves to be as hands-on as possible. They find joy in hand-kneading flour, eggs and water into a silky smooth pasta dough, crafting craft brews and creating a full (and fantastic) experience around their meal times. If one such person is on your giftee list this festive season, we've done the legwork for you. And there's no better place to start than with BrewArt. The hops-loving team has made it their mission to make the art (and science) of at-home brewing as fuss-free as possible — meaning the amateur brewer in your life will be pouring stand-out sips every single batch. In the spirit of the holiday season, together with BrewArt, we've compiled a list of stand-out gifts to get that hands-on foodie in your life. BREWART BeerDroid AND BrewFlo, From $799 What better to gift your foodie than a world first? BrewArt's BeerDroid — the first fully automated personal brewer — is single handedly turning amateur frothies into pub-quality pours, every time. And the BrewArt app means they'll be overseeing their brew from wherever they are. So if you know the next master brewer or are simply looking for the ideal gift for a DIY foodie (who is partial to an arvo at the pub), consider your gift chosen. Go all out and pick up the BrewFlo, too. In-house (read: at home), they'll have up to 10 ice-cold litres of IPA, XPA, pale ale or kolsch on its way to a glass with a pub-perfect frothy head — every time. With no need for CO2 (another world first) and a handy LCD screen control — it's thirst-quenchingly good. [caption id="attachment_879951" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Luisa Brimble[/caption] PIG & PILGRIM PARILLA, $3150 Whether you're gifting a carnivore or someone that simply loves cooking with smoky flavours and hot coals, a parilla from Pig & Pilgrim is an exceptional choice to pop under the tree. Pictured above is The Sideburn, the "grand dame" of the Sydney-based biz's range of South American-style charcoal barbecues. Featuring a brasero in addition to a grill, this big bit of machinery is designed for longer cooks — with the easy option of creating more coals as you're roasting away. From experimenting with the amount of heat and smoke used to grill shrimps on the barbie, setting up chicken yeeros over red-hot coals and impressing morning guests with an al fresco shakshuka, the die-hard foodie in your life will be all set for the new year. Plus, there are options that pack less of a financial punch, including The Farrow —the small, portable grill that's ideal for any happy camper in your life. NOT WASTED JUICE CLUB MEMBERSHIP, From $99 Alongside good food, you must have good sips — and when it comes to natty wines, the good folks at Not Wasted are the people to turn to. Not only do they sling out bottles from both Aussie and international producers, they dive deep into the best (and most eco-friendly) viticulture practices and then share it with the world. If you've got an oenophile in your life that you'd love to gift a drop to, or you know a foodie that's looking to level up their wine knowledge, sign them on up to Not Wasted's Juice Club. With four size options — three bottles or six, for newbies or wine snobs — and the flexibility to pick the frequency of deliveries, your favourite foodie will receive a curated collection of vinos. A rare gem, a red that's ripe for the chilling or maybe something funky, they'll be pouring stand-out drops all year long. GOZNEY ROCCBOX, $799 There's something about a homemade pizza that absolutely hits. Whether it's the overarching process — from kneading the dough to having complete creative control over the toppings — or the winning combo of cheese and carbs straight from the oven, it's a universally adored experience. And taking it up a notch is the red-hot Roccbox from Gozney. Turning the heat up to 500°C, this tabletop pizza oven is cute, portable and a cinch to use. We're sure your lucky recipient will be inviting you over for a slice in no time — a delicious return on your investment. [caption id="attachment_879952" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Meg Yonson[/caption] FAT TUESDAYS CHOPPING BOARD, $110 Although prepping food comes nowhere near the enjoyment factor of chowing down, having fun and functional tools is a must. Enter Fat Tuesdays, the creators of constantly sold-out, hand-made chopping boards artfully made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic (that's both sourced and repurposed in Sydney). The range comes in four delightfully named colourways: birthday cake, guacamole, sherbet and raspberry jam, and we hear there are more on the way. If you've got your eyes on one of these beauties — for yourself or a friend — the last release of the year hits the shop early December, be quick. PASTA-MAKING CLASS, Varies A pasta class — taught by the pros — is as much a gift for your loved one as it is for you. Teach them to make fresh homemade pasta and you'll likely get to reap the rewards yourself (letting them do all the hard work of cooking — just like they like). Fussili, orecchiette, mafaldine, good old classic gnocchi — there are more pastas in the world than can be truly mastered in one lifetime, so even if they're an old hand, there'll be new tricks for them to learn. Grab them a gift card to one of the following spots and they'll be kneading flour, eggs and water in no time. Sydneysiders, Pasta Emilia (pictured above) is your best bet, Brisbanites can (and should) head to Fortitude Valley's Angelo's Pasta Classes, and Melburnians can make a beeline straight for La Cucina di Sandra. STYLE-HEAVY SERVING ACCESSORIES, Varies As your foodie fave will surely attest, plating up is as important (if not, nearly as important) as the food on said plate. So, any of the style-heavy objects that Maison Balzac, the Aussie experts in artful glassware and more, produces are a winning pressie. Maybe a set of gin and tonic glasses with a delicate citrus hit via a little glass slice of lime, some sea-blue glass plates or a celebratory set of tumblers (that, just quietly, would hold a frothy pour of beer quite nicely). VINTEC WINE FRIDGE, $899 If we're talking tech for foodies, a Vintec is nearing on essential. A temperature-controlled room to store your 35-bottle collection? Lush. Although they're not technically fridges, they basically are. Temperature and humidity are regulated, plus the bottles (and their precious drops) will be protected from both UV and vibrations — all the variables that can spoil your wine are controlled. It doesn't hurt that they look a bit alright, too. Hardcore wine lovers will already have one of these on their wish list. Got a foodie in your life? A beer lover? Ensure you're their fave with the help of BrewArt's frothy expertise and tech. Head to the website to get your order in, stat.
Forty years ago, fresh from making one of the greatest sci-fi/horror movies ever made in Alien, Ridley Scott gifted the world another futuristic classic that helped define and reshape science fiction on-screen. It's almost impossible to name a movie or TV series in the genre that's popped up over the past four decades and hasn't owed a huge debt to Blade Runner — and, soon, that list will include a new Blade Runner TV series. Philip K Dick's 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? has already given rise not just to Scott's iconic Harrison Ford-starring adaptation in 1982, but also to exceptional 2017 sequel Blade Runner 2049 and recent animated series Blade Runner: Black Lotus. Of course, if Ford's other huge sci-fi franchise can just keep popping back up, including on both the big and screens — see: The Force Awakens, Rogue One, The Last Jedi, Solo, The Rise of Skywalker, The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett — then clearly this one can as well. The Blade Runner series obviously has some catching up to do to get to Star Wars-level continuations, and quantity isn't the same as quality, but spending more time in its vision of the future is definitely welcome. The OG film was set in 2019, so we're now well past then — and the new series has been dubbed Blade Runner 2099, which means we'll be jumping quite a ways forward in time. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon Studios is behind Blade Runner 2099, once again bringing a small-screen favourite to streaming given that it's doing exactly that in September this year with the eagerly awaited The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. When it leaps forward to 2099, the new Blade Runner show will act as a sequel to both the initial film and Blade Runner 2049 — but who'll be starring and directing hasn't yet been revealed. That said, busy The Last Duel and House of Gucci filmmaker Scott has confirmed his involvement, Variety reports, noting that the pilot for the show has already been written, and that it's envisioned as a ten-hour series. There's obviously no sneak peek at Blade Runner 2099 yet, but you can check out the trailer for the original 1982 Blade Runner below: Blade Runner 2099 doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when more news is announced. Via Variety / The Hollywood Reporter.
Cyclists, for a long time considered well behind the peloton in the fashion stakes, seem to be catching up. Leading designers are decking them out in fashionable threads, and now the helmet is even starting to look good. Perhaps fuelled by the rise in cycle chic, designers are now rethinking the humble lid and giving it a new look — after all, what’s the point of looking sharp in your $650 jacket if you cap it off with a Stackhat? Designboom have gathered together some of the more interesting takes on the humble helmet. Some simply add some quality materials to the traditional design, others take inspiration from the military, or nature. The more radical ideas start with a blank slate, and end up with something foldable that can be slipped in your handbag or back pocket. They might look great and suit your new outfit perfectly, but many of them wouldn’t meet Australian safety standards. Which is a shame, as it seems that a lot of cyclists would rather be a traffic-victim than a fashion-victim. [via Designboom]
The Gertrude Street Projection Festival will light up the night for the twelfth year in a row, when it returns to Fitzroy this winter. Running for nine nights from July 26–August 3, the free community-driven event will once again showcase spectacular light compositions from local and international artists up and down the northside drag. Some of the glowing work you'll see around the suburb include a video installation by Papua New Guinean artist Taloi Havini; Voice, a piece by Yandell Walton with a focus on climate change; an eerie spirit person by printmaker Tom Civil; and a virtual reality 'cabinet of curiosities' that combines walking, touching and listening to stories. In addition to the 22 projections — which will illuminate everything from shopfronts to footpaths to the trees in the Atherton Gardens and even a skate crew — this year's festival will also feature a program of special events, including parties, pop-ups, and live music and DJ sets, plus a few culinary offerings to tempt you out into the cold from 6pm till midnight each night. Kicking off the festivities will be a free opening night party, complete with a krumping session, at Foresters Hall and it'll wrap up with a block party — with five projections and five hours of performances — at Atherton Gardens. Gertrude Street Projection Festival runs from 6pm–midnight.
You mightn't usually be the kind of person who yells at the TV when you're watching something. In fact, you may have never exclaimed aloud during a streaming binge. But all bets are off when Curb Your Enthusiasm is on — because Larry David, playing a heightened and fictionalised version of himself, constantly behaves in a manner that'll make you shout an exasperated but still amused "Larry!?!?!?!" more than once. Across ten seasons since 2000, the series has followed the Seinfeld co-creator's life after that huge hit, including both his personal and professional ups and downs. Over that time, he's gotten the Seinfeld gang back together for a reunion, fallen asleep during Hamilton and starred in a Broadway production of The Producers — all within the show, that is. Larry isn't particularly fond of following social conventions, which is the source of much of Curb Your Enthusiasm's awkward comedy. There's no one better at it, actually, and much of the dialogue is improvised, too.
As a second-generation gelato maker, with a family whose roots share gelato's own birthplace of Sicily, Lilly Stuckings knows a thing or two about whipping up Italy's favourite frozen summer treat. And you can try them for yourself at her Preston dessert spot Gelato Papa. The electric blue Gilbert Road venue is serving all-natural gelato in a range of flavours both traditional and inventive, along with a line of decadent cakes made from scratch. A strong focus on locality means you'll often find the ingredient list peppered with the likes of prickly pears and lemons foraged no further than a neighbour's garden. Stuckings also has a knack for reimagining nostalgic Aussie favourites with a modern, Italian twist, as you'll see with the Violet Crumble cake — a concoction featuring fior di latte and milk chocolate gelati with a vivid purple chocolate coating, jazzed up with crystallised violet petals and fresh, handmade honeycomb ($35). There's even a riff on a Golden Gaytime ($35) and the classic lemon meringue pie, starring homemade lemon curd and shortbread ($45). The seasonal gelato range (from $5 a scoop) might feature creations like pink chocolate, coffee choc chip and dulche de leche, alongside a rotation of vegan-friendly editions like mandarin, blood plum and almond maple crunch. But if you're popping by for a visit this festive season, you'll want to check out Gelato Papa's trio of limited-edition, Christmas-inspired flavours, up for grabs until December 24. Sink your teeth into a cone — or share tub (from $14) — filled with gingerbread gelato, a vegan chocolate candy cane version, or the mince tart and Italian egg nog flavour. This last one's got chunks of Northcote Bakehouse's signature fruit mince scattered through Gelato Papa's creamy custard and marsala gelato.
The Dandenong Ranges has welcomed a newcomer to town, and it's serving up Mexican-inspired cafe fare and fine cuppas. Maria Cafe is run by partners Josh O'Brien and Omar Viramontes, who are also responsible for the nearby Lorna Cafe. While the duo's first venue is named after Josh's grandmother — and features her homemade crumpet recipe on its menu — Maria Cafe takes inspiration from Omar's grandmother. Drawing upon her Mexican heritage, the new cafe finds its culinary cues in Central and South American influences. Specialty dishes include pulled beef brisket tacos with Oaxaca cheese and salsa verde ($17), lamb or grilled tempeh tostadas with beetroot slaw and marinated feta ($19.50), and the incredibly decadent sounding churros waffles — served with chocolate fudge sauce, sugared hazelnuts, strawberries and mascarpone ($18.50). Other especially tasty sounding brekkie items include huevos rotos (fried eggs, chorizo ragu and potatoes with avocado lime crema and fried bread, $19.00) and croquettes benedict (panko-crumbed sweet potato and chorizo croquettes topped with red capsicum jam, poached eggs and hollandaise, for $19.50) — or the pina colada taco (made from fried dough taquitos, then filled with white rum custard, pineapple compote, coconut and salted caramel popcorn, for $18.50). For drinks, the cafe uses Industry Beans and offers a rotating selection of single origin roasts, alongside specialty beetroot, turmeric and matcha lattes, organic teas and Mexico's Jarritos soft drinks. The cafe is also licensed and offers wine, beer and specialty cocktails to boot.
Set in the heart of Hawthorn, Lulo Bar & Grill is quietly one of Melbourne's best late-night dining spots. Chef Matt Waldron named the space for his Colombian-born wife Michelle (Lulo is Colombian slang for an attractive woman) and the menu also reflects his love. South American flavours feature in all of the large and small share plates, with notable highlights including the melt-in-your-mouth ceviche and the crispy skin pork belly with mushroom ponzu, guava and hibiscus — although we're also pretty partial to the sweet and salty Colombian churros filled with quince jam and dulce de leche being served up for dessert.
Maggie Gyllenhaal and Hugh Dancy head up a stellar cast in Tanya Wexler's offbeat comedy Hysteria, based on the true story of Dr. Mortimer Granville — the man who created the world's first vibrator, back in 1880. In a search to cure the baffling female medical condition of the day, 'hysteria', the young doctor (played by Dancy) and his new boss Dr. Dalrymple (Jonathon Pryce) create the 'feather duster', offering women intimate manual relief from their condition – and, by chance, generating a surprising increase in business. The film is a joyful and light-hearted take on the birth of the sex toy, likely to put a knowing smile on a few faces in the audience. Concrete Playground has ten double passes to give away. To be in the running to win a pair of tickets to Hysteria, make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Defiant, powerful and passionate at every turn, Muru depicts a relentless police raid on New Zealand's Rūātoki community. Equally alive with anger, the Aotearoan action-thriller and drama shows law enforcement storming into the district to apprehend what's incorrectly deemed a terrorist cell, but is actually activist and artist Tāme Iti — playing himself — and his fellow Tūhoe people. If October 2007 springs to mind while watching, it's meant to. Written and directed by Poi E: The Story of Our Song and Mt Zion filmmaker Tearepa Kahi, this isn't a mere dramatisation of well-known events, however. There's a reason that Muru begins by stamping its purpose on the screen, and its whole rationale for existing: "this film is not a recreation… it is a response". That the feature's name is also taken from a Māori process of redressing transgressions is both telling and fitting as well. Kahi's film is indeed a reaction, a reply, a counter — and a way of processing past wrongs. In a fashion, it's Sir Isaac Newton's third law of motion turned into cinema, because a spate of instances across New Zealand over a century-plus has sparked this on-screen answer. Muru's script draws from 15 years back; also from the police shooting of Steven Wallace in Waitara in 2000 before that; and from the arrest of Rua Kēnana in Maungapōhatu even further ago, in 1916. While the movie finds inspiration in the screenplay Toa by Jason Nathan beyond those real-life events, it's always in dialogue with things that truly happened, and not just once, and not only recently. If every action causes an opposite reaction, Muru is Kahi's way of sifting through, rallying against and fighting back after too many occasions where the long arm of the NZ law, and of colonialism, has overreached. Played by Cliff Curtis (Reminiscence) with the brand of command that he's long been known for — and with the unshakeable presence that's served him through everything from The Piano, Once Were Warriors and Whale Rider through to The Dark Horse, Fear the Walking Dead and Doctor Sleep — Police Sergeant 'Taffy' Tawhara sits at the heart of Rūātoki's us-and-them divide. A local cop, he has the nation's laws to uphold, but he's also beholden to the community he hails from. His homecoming is recent, with his father (Tipene Ohlson) ailing and undergoing dialysis. So far, it has also been quiet. On the day that Muru begins, Taffy drives the school bus, takes the Aunties for medical checkups at the local mobile clinic and does what everyone in the valley does in their own manners: watches out for and tries to support 16-year-old Rusty (Poroaki Merritt-McDonald, Savage), the nephew of fellow officer Blake (Ria Te Uira Paki, The Dead Lands), who has the role of Rūātoki's resident wayward teen down pat. When Rusty smashes up shop windows that night, Taffy takes the call, then makes Iti's Camp Rama his second stop. A gathering of locals that champions survival skills and Tūhoe culture, it's designed to foster and reinforce the area's identity, which Taffy thinks Rusty can benefit from — even if that evening marks the sergeant's first attendance himself. But Camp Rama has also been under surveillance by the NZ police's special tactics group, with haughty leader Gallagher (Jay Ryan, The Furnace) and his quick-tempered second-in-command Kimiora (Manu Bennett, The Hobbit) deciding that Iti and his friends are a threat to national security. The highly armed tactical unit descends upon the community the next day, aided behind the scenes by colleagues Maria (Simone Kessell, Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Jarrod (Byron Coll, Nude Tuesday), overseen by an MP (Colin Moy, Guns Akimbo) determined to make a statement, and ignoring Taffy's pleas that their mission is mistaken. From the outset, Kahi flits between the two halves of Muru's narrative, letting their clash echo from the feature's frames. Daily life in the valley isn't idyllic, but everyone's wellbeing is a communal responsibility, as seen in the way that Blake pitches in to help with pāpā while Taffy is out driving, as well as the fondness shown for Rusty by school kids and elders alike. Among law enforcement, displaying force and strength rather than flexibility or care is the only focus — to explosive ends once the raid starts. His film isn't subtle, but Kahi proves both unflinching and perceptive in contrasting empathy with its utter absence. A case in point: the evocatively shot (by cinematographers Chris Mauger, Herb — Songs of Freedom, and Fred Renata, Dawn Raid) and tensely edited (by Hacksaw Ridge Oscar-winner John Gilbert) moments when the cops surround the school bus, tracking Rusty on his horse. The children see ninjas, the adults see life changing forever and the police simply see targets. If Muru didn't come layered with real-life context and a wealth of history, it'd still make for taut, intense and gripping viewing; as an action-thriller, it's sharp, tightly wound and skilfully executed, and teems with lively chases — by foot, car, horse and air alike — as well as loaded confrontations. Undercutting IRL trauma by boiling it down to a Hollywood formula isn't Kahi's intention, though, or the end result that pulsates across the screen. Muru is all the more riveting because it's so deeply felt, so steeped in generations of shattering violence, and so willing to ponder what compassion and justice truly mean. It also bubbles with the sensation that the movie wouldn't even need to exist in a better world, because the events that it's interrogating wouldn't have happened. This is a reckoning on several levels, including with that truth. As set against Rūātoki's scenic greenery, Muru is always a complicated picture, clearly — and that includes its choice to work in fiction instead of remaining glued to facts. Sometimes, though, spinning a story rather than sticking to actuality can be more potent, more emotionally authentic, and also brim with more feeling, as it instantly does here. Of course, there's no avoiding Iti, the feature's constant reminder that reality underscores even Muru's most imaginative narrative leaps. As himself, he's one part of a fine-tuned cast — weighty performances by Curtis, Merritt-McDonald, Ryan and Kessell stand out — but he's also Muru's beacon. Fury, understanding, hope, honouring the past, striving for a different future: in this dynamic film and in Iti's eyes, they all both ripple and linger.
'Based on real events'. It's been an incredibly popular theme of late, with an almost unceasing run of biopics and historical dramas coming our way every year for the past decade or so. Those four simple words imbue a movie with an immediate sheen of credibility, commanding the audience's attention and respect in equal measure. The thing is, it's also particularly sneaky. 'Based on real events' doesn't mean 'happened'. Instead, it provides filmmakers with a sizeable caveat upon which almost almost any fact can be supplanted by something far more exciting, or more moving or…whatever the movie needs, really. Hacksaw Ridge, Mel Gibson's first directorial offering in over a decade, stands apart on this front for two distinct reasons. Firstly, it opts for the far more concrete 'A True Story' at its opening. Secondly, it takes the almost unprecedented step of underselling the feats of its protagonist, American war hero Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield). In real life, as in the film, the famous WWII conscientious objector refused to carry a weapon because of his religious beliefs as a Seventh Day Adventist, yet still earned himself the Congressional Medal of Honour when he single-handedly carried 75 wounded men on his back during the battle for Hacksaw Ridge, lowering them one-by-one down a cliff face to safety while under constant fire from the enemy. Doss' real world battlefield valour, however, extended far beyond this feat, with his citation referencing numerous other instances of extraordinary heroism that fail to even rate a mention in the film. Perhaps it was cut for time, or perhaps Gibson and his team concluded that Doss' actions were already so unbelievable, to detail all of them would challenge even the most faithful historian. Either way, it's refreshing to see an already humble hero presented without the need to over-emphasise, over-sell and over-indulge. Filmed in Australia with a predominantly local supporting cast, Hacksaw Ridge offers a surprisingly conventional first half for a director of Gibson's talent. The flashbacks to Doss' childhood and his troubled parents (Rachel Griffiths and Hugo Weaving), the romance with his sweetheart (Teresa Palmer) and his initiation into the military (under the supervision of Vince Vaughn and Sam Worthington) all play dangerously close to melodrama, saved only by the quality of the actors' performances. The sole purpose of this first phase is to establish with none too subtle a touch Doss' fervent religious conviction, cataloguing each and every instance of persecution, bullying and even the court martial that threatened to see him imprisoned for the duration of the war. But Gibson has made a career out of terrifyingly visceral combat scenes (see also: Braveheart and Apocalypto), and from the moment the first bullet tears through the air and into the flesh of the soldier it finds, Hacksaw Ridge sheds its corniness and transforms into a brutal, confronting and violent recreation of one of WWII's bloodiest battles. Neither as involved as Saving Private Ryan, nor as haunting as The Thin Red Line, Hacksaw Ridge nonetheless delivers a truly frenetic sense of warfare, at times seeming closer to the clashing armies of the middle ages than the modern combat of the last century. The film is unashamedly unilateral in purpose, and the closing shot of Doss essentially ascending to Heaven is rather on the nose. Still, as a tribute to a genuinely extraordinary man and a return to form by Gibson, both are as welcome as they are overdue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2-1hz1juBI
Australians will never be torn apart from their love of an 80s power ballad by one of the nation's most-successful rock bands: that's what the first-ever Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs revealed. First announced in June 2025, open for voting for a month and unveiling its countdown on Saturday, July 26, the public-voted ranking of the country's favourite homegrown tunes of all time culminated with INXS topping the poll with the yearning refrains of 'Never Tear Us Apart'. The Michael Hutchence-crooned song was one of two by the band to make the list. The other: 'Need You Tonight', also from their 1987 blockbuster album Kick, which came in at number 59. Although Triple J advised that the largest number of voters hailed from the 18–29-year-old age group, everyone took the task of truly surveying classic Aussie tracks seriously, with more than half of that demographic's picks going to songs released before they were even in high school. Nothing in the top ten initially hit airwaves before 2011. After 'Never Tear Us Apart', the Hottest 100 of Australian Songs featured Hilltop Hoods' 2003 release 'The Nosebleed Section' in second place, followed by The Veronicas' 2007 track 'Untouched' in third, then 'Scar' by Missy Higgins from 2004 in fourth and Crowded House's 1986 tune 'Don't Dream It's Over' by Crowded House in fifth. Next came 2000's 'My Happiness' by Powderfinger — the highest-ranked former annual Hottest 100 winner — then a Cold Chisel double with 1984's 'Flame Tree's and 1978's 'Khe Sanh', Paul Kelly 1996 Christmas favourite 'How to Make Gravy', and Gotye and Kimbra's 2011 smash 'Somebody That I Used to Know'. As well as 'My Happiness' and 'Somebody That I Used to Know', a heap of other prior yearly Hottest 100 victors made the all-Aussie ranking: Powderfinger again with 'These Days', Angus and Julia Stone courtesy of 'Big Jet Plane', Jet's 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl', Flume featuring Kai with 'Never Be Like You', Augie March's 'One Crowded Hour', Vance Joy with 'Riptide', Bernard Fanning's 'Wish You Well', Chet Faker's 'Talk Is Cheap', 'Confidence' by Ocean Alley and The Whitlams with 'No Aphrodisiac'. Tame Impala's 'The Less I Know the Better' also featured after winning the Hottest 100 of the 2010s. Indeed, only Spiderbait's 'Buy Me a Pony', Alex Lloyd's 'Amazing', The Rubens' 'Hoops', Flume's 'Say Nothing' and The Wiggles' cover of 'Elephant' didn't make the Hottest 100 of Australian songs after previously topping the yearly poll. A range of artists ranked up multiple appearances in the countdown, starting with Fanning with four — three courtesy of Powderfinger. Hilltop Hoods, Crowded House, Jimmy Barnes, AC/DC, Silverchair, Midnight Oil and Gang of Youths all picked up three, while not just INXS but also The Veronicas, Higgins, Cold Chisel, Kelly, Gotye, Angus & Julia Stone, Empire of the Sun, Hunters & Collectors, The Church, Icehouse, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Avalanches and Spiderbait nabbed two places apiece. Although no one needs a reason to celebrate Aussie music, Triple J has one: 2025 marks its 50th birthday. That fact tied into one big caveat with the poll, with voters needing to choose a track that was released before the station hit that milestone on Sunday, January 19, 2025. Stats-wise, the chosen 100 tunes came from 2,655,826 total votes, the fourth highest that have ever been received for a Triple J Hottest 100. Also, more tunes sprang from the 2000s than any other decade, while 24 artists on the list championed the benefits of Triple J Unearthed, because that's where they got their start. Daddy Cool's 'Eagle Rock' from 1971 is the oldest tune that made the cut, while 2021's 'Hertz' from Amyl and The Sniffers is the most recent. And yes, both 'You're the Voice' by John Farnham and 'The Horses' by Daryl Braithwaite earned a place. Here's the full Hottest 100 of Australian Songs list: 1 'Never Tear Us Apart', INXS 2 'The Nosebleed Section', Hilltop Hoods 3 'Untouched', The Veronicas 4 'Scar', Missy Higgins 5 'Don't Dream It's Over', Crowded House 6 'My Happiness', Powderfinger 7 'Flame Trees', Cold Chisel 8 'Khe Sanh', Cold Chisel 9 'How to Make Gravy', Paul Kelly 10 'Somebody That I Used to Know', Gotye featuring Kimbra 11 'Sweet Disposition', The Temper Trap 12 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again', The Angels 13 'Thunderstruck', AC/DC 14 'These Days', Powderfinger 15 'You're the Voice', John Farnham 16 'Innerbloom', Rüfüs Du Sol 17 'Tomorrow', Silverchair 18 'Beds Are Burning', Midnight Oil 19 'The Less I Know the Better', Tame Impala 20 'Big Jet Plane', Angus & Julia Stone 21 'Down Under', Men at Work 22 'To Her Door', Paul Kelly & the Messengers 23 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl', Jet 24 'Walking on a Dream', Empire of the Sun 25 'Throw Your Arms Around Me', Hunters & Collectors 26 'Never Be Like You', Flume featuring Kai 27 'Can't Get You Out of My Head', Kylie Minogue 28 'Straight Lines,' Silverchair 29 'Under the Milky Way', The Church 30 'The Horses', Daryl Braithwaite 31 'Highway to Hell', AC/DC 32 'Torn', Natalie Imbruglia 33 'One Crowded Hour', Augie March 34 'Booster Seat', Spacey Jane 35 'Great Southern Land', Icehouse 36 'Treaty (Radio Mix)', Yothu Yindi 37 'Back in Black', AC/DC 38 'Better Be Home Soon', Crowded House 39 'Reckless', Australian Crawl 40 'Covered in Chrome', Violent Soho 41 'Prisoner of Society', The Living End 42 'Magnolia', Gang of Youths 43 'Joker & the Thief', Wolfmother 44 'Into My Arms', Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 45 'Eagle Rock', Daddy Cool 46 'Shooting Stars', Bag Raiders 47 'Solid Rock', Goanna 48 'Riptide', Vance Joy 49 'It's Nice to Be Alive', Ball Park Music 50 'Holy Grail', Hunters & Collectors 51 'Brother', Matt Corby 52 'The Special Two', Missy Higgins 53 'Better in Blak', Thelma Plum 54 'I Touch Myself,' Divinyls 55 'My People', The Presets 56 'Working Class Man', Jimmy Barnes 57 'Wish You Well', Bernard Fanning 58 'Frontier Psychiatrist', The Avalanches 59 'Need You Tonight', INXS 60 'Let Me Down Easy', Gang of Youths 61 'Talk Is Cheap', Chet Faker 62 'Australia Street', Sticky Fingers 63 'I Was Only 19 (A Walk in the Light Green)', Redgum 64 'Cosby Sweater', Hilltop Hoods 65 'Confidence', Ocean Alley 66 'Power and the Passion', Midnight Oil 67 '! (The Song Formerly Known As)', Regurgitator 68 'Chemical Heart', Grinspoon 69 'Weather with You', Crowded House 70 '(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind', Powderfinger 71 'Jimmy Recard', Drapht 72 'Freak', Silverchair 73 '1955', Hilltop Hoods featuring Montaigne and Tom Thum 74 'London Still', The Waifs 75 'The Unguarded Moment', The Church 76 '4ever', The Veronicas 77 'Weir', Killing Heidi 78 'Black Fingernails, Red Wine', Eskimo Joe 79 'Hello', The Cat Empire 80 'We Are the People', Empire of the Sun 81 'Berlin Chair', You Am I 82 'High', Peking Duk featuring Nicole Millar 83 'Cigarettes Will Kill You', Ben Lee 84 'Streets of Your Town', The Go-Betweens 85 'Delete', DMA's 86 'Hearts a Mess', Gotye 87 'The Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows', Gang of Youths 88 'Chateau', Angus & Julia Stone 89 'Hertz', Amyl and the Sniffers 90 'Black Betty', Spiderbait 91 'No Aphrodisiac', The Whitlams 92 'Electric Blue', Icehouse 93 'Since I Left You', The Avalanches 94 'Clair de Lune', Flight Facilities featuring Christine Hoberg 95 'Calypso', Spiderbait 96 'Evie', Stevie Wright 97 'I Want You', Savage Garden 98 'Red Right Hand', Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 99 'Blue Sky Mine', Midnight Oil 100 'Better', The Screaming Jets Triple J's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs was unveiled on Saturday, July 26, 2025. For more information, head to the Triple J website. Top image: Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Images.
Melbourne's sixth and current lockdown has been in place for almost a month, and it won't be lifting in the coming days. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews advised today, Sunday, August 29, that statewide stay-at-home conditions will remain in effect past 11.59pm on Thursday, September 2 — the last end date that was announced back in mid-August — given that Victoria continues to record high numbers of locally acquired COVID-19 cases. The city first went into this lockdown at the beginning of August — just nine days after the previous lockdown ended — and has seen the stay-at-home rules extended not once but twice already, and a nighttime curfew implemented as well. In regional Victoria, the rest of the state started this lockdown with Greater Melbourne, then was released early just a few days later, and then re-entered lockdown just over a week ago. "Essentially, we see far too many cases today for us to be able seriously consider opening up later on this week. Obviously, with almost 100 cases today — where many of them remain mysteries, many of them were out in the community during their infectious period — it is not going to be possible for us to be able to open up our Victorian community in just a few days time," the Premier said. Victoria reported 92 new locally acquired cases in the 24 hours to midnight last night, and has a current total of 778 active cases throughout the state. New case numbers have been sitting above 40 per day since Wednesday, August 18. Exactly how much longer the lockdown will run hasn't yet been announced. "We will, however, look at all the different options," said the Premier. "We don't have advice yet from the Chief Health Officer as to what is possible, and what is safe, later on this week. As soon as we get that advice and decisions are made, we'll announce them, and we'll give people as much notice as we can." Reported yesterday: 92 new local cases and 1 new case acquired overseas (currently in HQ). - 31,436 vaccine doses were administered - 51,030 test results were received More later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData [1/2] pic.twitter.com/AJHvafjSxh — VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) August 28, 2021 Before this lockdown, and the July stay-at-home stint before it, the city was also asked to remain at home in February and May this year. Thanks to the two lockdowns in 2020, too, the rules are obviously very familiar now, with Victorian residents still only permitted to leave home for five reasons: shopping for what you need, when you need it; caregiving and compassionate reasons; essential work or permitted eduction that can't be done from home; exercise; and getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Also in place during this lockdown: a curfew from 9pm–5am, meaning that no one is permitted to leave their house overnight except in very limited circumstances — which includes authorised work. On that subject, if you need to leave your home at all and at any hour for authorised work, you need to get a permit to do so. Victorians must also stay within five kilometres of their homes, unless you're leaving for permitted work or shopping for essentials if there are no shops in your radius. Private gatherings are banned, as are public gatherings. While you can't have any visitors enter your home in general, there are single bubbles, and intimate partner visits are allowed. So, if you live alone, you can form a bubble with another person or see your other half. Playgrounds, basketball hoops, skate parks and outdoor exercise equipment are all closed. You can also only exercise outdoors with one other person, plus any dependents you both have, even if you live in a larger household — and for a maximum of two hours per day. Also, masks are mandatory everywhere outside of your home, and can't be removed outdoors to drink alcohol. Weddings are not permitted, unless on compassionate grounds, while funerals are limited to ten. Hairdressing and beauty services, indoor physical recreation and sport venues, swimming pools, community facilities including libraries, entertainment venues and non-essential retail venues remain closed — and hospitality venues have reverted back to takeaway-only. Supermarkets, bottle shops and pharmacies are still open, however. As always, Victorians can keep an eye on the local list of exposure sites at the Department of Health website — it keeps being updated as more locations are identified. For those looking to get tested, you can find a list of testing sites including regularly updated waiting times also on the Department of Health website. And, has remained the case throughout the pandemic, Victorians should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste, symptoms-wise. Victoria will still remain in lockdown until after Thursday, September 2; however, the exact end date hasn't yet been announced. For more information about the rules in place at the moment, head to the Victorian Department of Health website.
A four-layer slice of Italian flavour and sophistication has just carved out a home on Chapel Street — and your summer sipping and pasta-twirling plans will be all the better for it. The multi-storey Stella has opened in a heritage-listed corner building in South Yarra, with a whole assortment of offerings awaiting you between the basement level and the sun-drenched rooftop bar. Here, owner Ali Mousavi is dishing up a contemporary Aussie take on the classic Italian trattoria, inspired by childhood years spent in and around his family's own Italian eatery. Stella is also the name of his daughter. [caption id="attachment_872163" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Pascoe[/caption] Inside, an elegant fitout by Projects of Imagination and SUM Design Studio has lent each space its own identity while tying it back in seamlessly to the rest of the building. First, you've got the historic bluestone walls and back-lit cabinets of cellared vino gracing the subterranean private dining room. Up on the ground floor, a light-filled restaurant space makes a statement of the kitchen's impressive Golden Onyx Marana Forni pizza oven; while above sits a moodier lounge bar lined with emerald banquettes and sporting a hand-crafted light installation hung with hundreds of glass bottles. Make your way one floor further to find the all-season openair rooftop terrace, with its lush vertical garden and vistas across the inner-south. You'll spy more of that onyx gleaming the length of the terrace bar, too. [caption id="attachment_872171" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] It's a choose-your-own-adventure kind of venue, with a food offering — by Executive Chef John Park (Vue de Monde, 400 Gradi) — to match. Sipping and snacking types will be happy lounging in the bar or kicking back on the rooftop, over salumi boards, mushroom arancini, beef tartare on toasted schiacciata, and perhaps some oozy burrata served with grilled bread and a pesto dressing. Deeper in, house-made pasta proves a highlight, running to options like lamb ragu tagliatelle with orange pangrattato, truffle mascarpone-laced pappardelle funghi, and a blue swimmer crab tagliolini elevated with a prawn bisque and avruga gremolata. Meanwhile, pizzas might come laden with classic toppings like pork sausage, fennel and hot salami; or marinated prawns and cherry tomatoes. [caption id="attachment_872167" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] If you're already dreaming of the rooftop knock-offs, you'll be just as happy with Stella's drinks situation, which is headlined by a mix of Italian wines and local varietals curated by sommelier Myron Kloppers (Omnia, Ike Jime). Of course, the Mediterranean-leaning cocktail lineup has plenty of terrace-worthy inclusions of its own — including the Stella Royale spritz starring blackberry liqueur, hibiscus syrup and fizz; and the Violetta's sophisticated blend of tequila, Cointreau, lavender bitters and house-made lavender tea. [caption id="attachment_872151" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Pascoe[/caption] [caption id="attachment_872170" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] [caption id="attachment_872165" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] Find Stella at 427 Chapel Street, South Yarra. It's open daily from 12–4pm and again from 6pm–late. Images: Parker Blain and Kate Pascoe
Dark matter and dark energy make up 95 percent of the universe, yet we're still not exactly sure what it actually is. Not knowing has never stopped humanity from imagining and probing through art, though — which is exactly what Melbourne University's Science Gallery is doing with the great minds at European particle physics lab CERN through new exhibition Dark Matters. Co-curated with Monica Bello, Head of Arts at CERN and running until Saturday, December 2, the exhibition presents a range of art and science projects, including from the organisation's international artists' residency program. Their combined purpose: exploring dark matter. Witness Yunchul Kim's awe-inspiring 50-metre-long sculpture Chroma V, which responds to invisible forces and finds subatomic particles. Or, enter the world of quantum magnetic levitation with Julijonas Urbonas' When Accelerators Turn Into Sweaters, featuring replicas of a section of CERN's Large Hadron Collider transformed into levitating knitting. UK artists Ruth Jarman and Joe Berhardt's The View from Nowhere combines theoretical physics discussions with footage filmed in CERN's workshops, and Suzanne Treister's Scientific Dreaming showcases science-fiction stories written by CERN and University of Melbourne scientists. Australian talent also shines with Jon Butt's µ Muography, a DIY particle detector and art generator that gets cosmic particles creating delicate artworks and soundscapes — plus, there's In This Room. Everywhere from writer Alicia Sometimes and engineer Andrew Watson, which immerses through sound while pondering dark matter's mysteries. Images: Science Gallery Melbourne.
QVM's Summer Night Market is forever popular with those seeking a little midweek fun during the warmer months. On Wednesday nights, a bunch of the market's sheds get taken over by food trucks, pop-up bars, live entertainment and market stalls — with the 2024-25 run looking to be just as good as all the predecessors. As always, food is the main drawcard at the QCM Summer Night Market, with this year's lineup boasting 45 food traders — slinging eats from Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, and beyond. Get around Filipino skewers from B-Boys BBQ, pita pockets from The Cypriot Kitchen, Japanese pancakes from Kicca Okonomiyaki, meatball subs and loaded nachos from Mr Baller, lamb jollof from Ama's Delight, and fried chicken and spicy buffalo wings from For Fried Sake. Dessert warriors should also hit up Lickt for decadent brownie gelato sandwiches and Casa Nata for traditional Portuguese custard tarts. This short list of things to eat at the market only skims the surface of what's on offer, so be sure to take your time exploring each of the stalls before deciding what to get. Then for booze, you'll find beers from Brick Lane, vino from Rewine, and a bunch of summery spritzes from Bella Spritz — think limoncello, grapefruit, lime and elderflower. The Happiness is Mojito Bar is also setting up at the night market each Wednesday night, serving up watermelon mojito slushies right by the Margarita Station, Beach Bar and Schweppes Caravan. As always, you can fight it out over seats — either getting in early or hovering over punters who look like they're about to leave — or you can try the new VIP area. Here, you can score a seat for $10 per person when booking a table for two, four or six people. We prefer the everyone is an equal situation (that's kind of the point at a public market), but plenty of folks will be happy to have this option. A whopping 60 specialty traders will also have stalls set up each night, selling a heap of locally made artisanal goods — including homewares, beauty products and fashion (both new and vintage) . And throughout December, there'll also be a heap of Christmas specials. Santa will roam the Summer Night Market with his elves and snow will even fall every hour right by the Christmas tree on Queen Street. It's set to be a big summer at Queen Vic Market — let's just pray for good weather so there's no need to hide under the sheds all night. The QVM Summer Night Market will run from Wednesday, November 20, 2024–Wednesday, March 12, 2025 (excluding December 25 and January 1) from 5–10pm. For more information, you can check out the market's website.
We're going back ... back to see Back to the Future, this time as a musical on the Sydney Lyric's stage. First floated 20 years ago by the big-screen trilogy's screenwriter Bob Gale, then finally premiering in 2020, the song-filled take on Marty McFly and Doc Brown's exploits has proven an award-winning success in London's West End and on Broadway. In 2025, the DeLorean has finally arrived in Sydney. The power of Back to the Future isn't really a curious thing. As viewers have known since 1985, the Michael J Fox (The Good Fight)-starring sci-fi/comedy is a timeless delight. But as well as making film lovers weep with joy for almost four decades, the iconic movie has been making other folks sing — the casts of the Olivier Award-winning Back to the Future: The Musical, that is. Aussie audiences can now experience the award-winning musical at the Sydney Lyric. Exclaiming "great Scott!" is obviously the only fitting response to this development, and to the production in general — and there's clearly plenty to get excited about. Since initially racing towards clocktowers onstage in the UK since early 2020 (around a pandemic hiatus or two, of course), Back to the Future: The Musical has picked up the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, and then was nominated for two Tony Awards in 2024. And yes, the show does indeed follow the Marty McFly and Doc Brown-led story we all know and adore, but with songs, including renditions of Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B Goode' and Huey Lewis and the News' 'The Power of Love' and 'Back in Time', naturally. [caption id="attachment_1049421" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] Australian fans will now want to speed at 88 miles per hour towards the Harbour City, given that it is the only Aussie city where a season of Back to the Future: The Musical has been announced so far, so bookmark a trip to the Harbour City to see it — or pop on your own white lab coat, start tinkering around with electronics and whip up your own time machine to try to make it happen. Also featuring music and lyrics by OG Back to the Future composer Alan Silvestri and acclaimed songwriter Glen Ballard (Jagged Little Pill the Musical), plus a book by Gale — who co-penned all three Back to the Future film scripts with filmmaker Robert Zemeckis (Here) — Back to the Future: The Musical was nominated for seven Olivier Awards. It only won the big one, but emerged victorious over heavy-hitters and fellow screen-to-stage shows Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Frozen. Tickets are on sale now. For more info, head to the website. [caption id="attachment_1049422" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption]
Move over Matt Damon, French acting icon Alain Delon, the great Dennis Hopper, Lawmen: Bass Reeves star Barry Pepper and John Malkovich: there's a new Tom Ripley in town. Actually, Malkovich hasn't gone far. Netflix's upcoming limited series Ripley stars All of Us Strangers and Fleabag favourite Andrew Scott as its namesake, but he's joined by an actor who has also played the Patricia Highsmith-penned part, as the just-dropped first teaser trailer for one of 2024's most-anticipated new TV titles shows. An eight-part effort arriving on Thursday, April 4, Ripley isn't short on drawcards, then — Scott chief among them. He's stepped into iconic characters' shoes before, and suave yet scheming folks that can't be trusted, thanks to his stint as Moriarty in Sherlock. Now, one of the internet's boyfriends is taking on the fictional con artist that debuted on the page in Highsmith's 1955 book The Talented Mr Ripley. That novel has reached the screen twice before, as 1960 crime-thriller Purple Noon starring Delon, then as the Damon (Oppenheimer)-led The Talented Mr Ripley in 1999. Where the latter also featured Gwyneth Paltrow (The Politician) as Marge Sherwood and Jude Law (Peter Pan & Wendy) as Dickie Greenleaf, Dakota Fanning (The Equalizer 3) and Johnny Flynn (One Life) are doing the honours this time. As seen in the initial sneak peek at Ripley, Malkovich (Billions) also pops up in the series, which follows its eponymous figure to Italy. Tom's gig: being paid by a rich man to persuade his son to come home. Steven Zaillian, who has excellent fellow miniseries The Night Of on his resume alongside screenplays for Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York and The Irishman, plus an Oscar for Schindler's List, scripted and directed all eight episodes. He takes his cues from the novelist who also gave the world Strangers on a Train and The Price of Salt — with the first brought to cinemas by Alfred Hitchcock and the second adapted as Carol. And if you're wondering about Malkovich's time as Tom Ripley, he played the character in 2002's Ripley's Game, the second adaptation of Highsmith's third Ripley novel of the same name after 1977's The American Friend with Hopper. The author also wrote Ripley Under Ground, which was turned into a 2005 Pepper-led film, plus The Boy Who Followed Ripley and Ripley Under Water. Check out the first teaser trailer for Ripley below: Ripley streams via Netflix from Thursday, April 4, 2024. Images: Lorenzo Sisti / Netflix.
A space for surrealist, figurative and highly imaginative artworks, Beinart Gallery houses three exhibition spaces in the heart of Brunswick. Beginning life as an Australian artist collective and online gallery in 2003 before quickly coming to include like-minded international creatives, Beinart opened its physical gallery doors in 2016 and has since hosted a number of exhibitions showcasing established and emerging artists from around the world. The Beinart space also includes a gift shop, which stocks a range of specialty books, artisanal jewellery and other curiosities. The online store, meanwhile, includes a wide selection of artworks and limited-edition prints.
The cultural renaissance in Canberra continues its unfurling across the dining and arts scenes, bringing more interest from interstate — and international — visitors than ever before. The standard of options for places to stay has also leapt vertically in the past five years, and among the list is the East Hotel. The family-owned boutique hotel is located in the increasingly happening suburb of Kingston. It's stand-out characteristics are warm accommodating service, handsomely-appointed contemporary rooms with all the important details considered (the fluffy white guest robes well and truly pass the comfort test), and the onsite options for drinking and dining. East Hotel's lobby bar, Joe's Bar, has an eclectic, jewel toned fit-out and a generous lineup of creative cocktails (if you have a yen for a good martini try the Tokyo Martini or the signature Joe's Martini). There's also a decent selection of Italian and Australian wines and a showcase of local Canberran beers on tap, bottled and by the tin. Soak up some of those martinis with Italian-inspired bar snacks or pizzas. Calamari fritte and a particularly excellent focaccia served hot and fresh from the enormous clay pizza oven. The clientele of Joe's Bar is a mix of East Hotel guests having a pre-dinner drink but but it's also highly populated with the after-work crowd of Canberra locals, particularly on Thursday and Friday evenings once 5pm has rolled past. The other dining option is Agostini's. It's a relaxed and super-buzzy Italian diner that's focused on creating the atmosphere and dining experience of an authentic Italian family restaurant. As such, you'll find a multi-generational crowd here, from white collar long lunchers to holidaying family tables. The pasta is very good and made fresh daily. The real hero here is the pizza though. The 'Salsiccia' layered with Italian sausage, 'nduja and Fior di Latte mozzarella on a fluffy wood-fired dough with just the right hint of char is excellent. Or if you're feeling a little less traditional, give the 'Granchio' of crab meat, rocket and cherry tomato a whirl. Finish things off with the house tiramisu and an amaro, or sample the negroni selection. Just bring an appetite and a loud voice to cut through the rowdy buzz of an extremely well-attended restaurant.
When Presumed Innocent begins, Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal, Road House) has devoted his career to putting away Chicago's criminals. As the chief deputy under the city's District Attorney, he's long lived and breathed his job, plus the upholding-the-law responsibility that comes with it. He knows the city's wrongdoers. He knows the system that punishes them for their misdeeds. He knows the courts and their inner workings. In other words: he knows how to do his job and, he thinks, how to make his hometown safer. Sabich is well-aware of what legally befalls those who fall afoul of society's standards, too — but what he isn't expecting, not for a second, is to be soon treated the same way. Audiences with knowledge of both film and literary history can see what's coming. This eight-part Apple TV+ series is the latest page-to-screen show from David E Kelley — and also another program with a story that already made the leap from bookshelves to the big screen before getting the television treatment. In recent years, Kelley has ushered A Man in Full, Anatomy of a Scandal, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Undoing and Big Little Lies down the first route. He's taken The Lincoln Lawyer down the second as well. His pedigree spinning legal narratives dates back to LA Law, The Practice, Ally McBeal and Boston Legal. Now, he's adapting author Scott Turow's debut 1987 novel, which initially became a hit 1990 Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)-starring feature. Turning Presumed Innocent's tale into a series and the passage of more than three decades are each a gift to its complexity, strengthening and building it in the way that a prosecutor with the aid of time and the perspective that it affords might construct their approach. There's more of the former, obviously, to fill out the intricacies of a scenario where a hotshot legal eagle usually firmly on the right side of the law is now a suspected murderer — and more space to ensure that the misogyny of the 80s and 90s doesn't still shine through. When Presumed Innocent became a movie, it was in the Fatal Attraction, Disclosure and Basic Instinct era, when Michael Douglas (Franklin) kept providing the face of men supposedly victimised by assertive women. If he'd led this picture, it wouldn't have come as a surprise. But just as Fatal Attraction has been updated for the small screen, so has Presumed Innocent. The setup: with being the main attorney under DA Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp, who also appeared in A Man in Full) already a fraught situation — aka an election year — Sabich's life is upended when his colleague Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve, 2021's Cannes Best Actress-winner for The Worst Person in the World) is found dead. The circumstances closely resemble a case that the two had previously worked on, so Rusty takes point in attempting to bring the perpetrator to justice. It seems a logical choice. Only professional envies fuel any qualms in the office. That said, what only his supportive wife Barbara (Ruth Negga, Good Grief) knows is that Rusty and Carolyn had an affair, which almost tore apart the Sabichs' marriage. A secret like that doesn't stay quiet, especially with Horgan's adversary Nico Della Guardia (O-T Fagbenle, Loot) and Rusty's ambitious counterpart Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard, Memory) looking to appease the electorate, and quickly, as they each aspire to climb to the top jobs. No one needs to commence an investigation to uncover the resentment directed like daggers from Tommy to Rusty, both before and after the latter's romance with Carolyn is exposed. Kelley has a penchant for courtroom dramas, so that's where Presumed Innocent is headed, with Rusty on trial for murder. Kelley of late also adores facades crumbling, equally revealing how pledging to live happily ever after with the one that you love isn't the same as truly knowing them. Rusty's obsession, with the fixated texts and emails to prove it, are that shattering. The question lingers, as it's meant to: does Presumed Innocent's protagonist deserve the viewers' presumption of innocence? The legal system must impart it, although Molto and his gleeful smirk can't, won't and don't. But should those watching give him the benefit of the doubt (and there are many doubts)? Should heartbroken artist Barbara and her and Rusty's teenaged kids Jaden (debutant Chase Infiniti) and Kyle (Kingston Rumi Southwick, 9 Full Moons), for that matter, or Horgan and his wife Lorraine (The Color Purple's Elizabeth Marvel, Camp's IRL spouse) as well? Also, as the series embraces Apple TV+'s beloved murder-mystery genre (see also: The Afterparty, Bad Sisters, Black Bird and Criminal Record, for example), what other queries should Detective Alana Rodriguez (Nana Mensah, The Diplomat) be asking as she helps Rusty attempt to clear his name? Presumed Innocent hasn't skimped on casting, to its advantage. With Gyllenhaal, who haunted in Donnie Darko and Nightcrawler in immensely different ways, the show earns not only a gripping central performance but a slippery one. Kelley doesn't ever paint his protagonist as a hero or anything as clearcut. Amid frames that do the same visually, he sees both the light and the darkness, which Gyllenhaal can jump between like flipping a switch. As both Reinsve and Negga flesh out the women caught up in Rusty's mess, and Sarsgaard eats up the screen — particularly when Rusty and Molto face off in court — Presumed Innocent poses more questions, however, about taking any one trait or behaviour as indicative of a broader picture. Lying in some instances doesn't mean lying always. Having a loved one's back isn't the start of unconditional and perpetual reassurance. Putting your career first once isn't the same as doing it forever. Bearing a grudge doesn't mean being driven by only animosity. With murkiness and shades of grey, there's also no holding back, then — or on twists. Cliffhangers land at the end of most episodes, as tailor-made for a viewing model that began with a double drop, then doles out the rest of the episodes week by week, regardless of if that's how viewers watch. While what it will entail beyond a brand-new case hasn't been revealed, including for its stars, a second season is on the way. Alongside season one's fellow executive producer JJ Abrams (Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker), Kelley will be back, though, so presuming that more comfortable lives will implode is more than reasonable. Check out the trailer for Presumed Innocent below: Presumed Innocent streams via Apple TV+.
When a band is just starting out, with just one album to its name, you're treated to most — if not all — of it live in the early days. To get the full-record experience again, though, you normally have to wait for big anniversaries. Bloc Party are celebrating two on their just-announced 2025 tour of Australia and New Zealand: two decades of the group and the same since their debut album Silent Alarm. Hitting up Sydney's Hordern Pavilion, John Cain Arena in Melbourne, Adelaide's AEC Theatre, Perth HPC, Riverstage in Brisbane, Christchurch Town Hall and Auckland's Spark Arena between Friday, August 1–Tuesday, August 12, Bloc Party will play Silent Alarm from start to finish. 'Banquet', 'Helicopter', 'This Modern Love', 'Like Eating Glass': yes, they'll all be on the setlist on this seven-city trip. Bloc Party aren't leaving their other tunes out, though, with the tour featuring not just Silent Alarm's tracks but the band's greatest hits. They do have five other albums to their name, after all: 2007's A Weekend in the City, 2008's Intimacy, 2012's Four, 2016's Hymns and 2022's Alpha Games. If you're a fan, you'll know that it has been more than 20 years since the group first formed, and since the British band scored some hefty approval in 2003 via Franz Ferdinand's lead singer Alex Kapranos — but 20 is a nice round number to commemorate. This makes two Aussie tours in a row now with a point of difference for Bloc Party, after 2023 trip with Interpol. Before that, they last rocked Aussie stages in 2018. Supporting Kele Okereke and company this time are Young The Giant, who'll be playing Australia for the first time in 14 years. Bloc Party 2025 Australia and New Zealand Tour Friday, August 1 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Sunday, August 3 — John Cain Arena, Melbourne Monday, August 4 — AEC Theatre, Adelaide Wednesday, August 6 — Perth HPC, Perth Friday, August 8 — Riverstage, Brisbane Sunday, August 10 — Christchurch Town Hall, Christchurch Tuesday, August 12 — Spark Arena, Auckland Bloc Party are touring Australia and New Zealand in August 2025, with presales from 9am local time on Wednesday, March 19 and general sales from 9am local time on Friday, March 21. Hit up the tour website for further details. Images: Bruce Baker via Flickr / James Kellegher.
Life has been a cabaret for one of the world's inimitable designers since 2018, when Jean Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show first premiered in Paris. Couture, colour, flair, excess, passion, a larger-than-life attitude: they're all channelled into this fashion show-meets-musical revue that steps through its namesake's career and promises a time at the theatre like nothing else. More than 200 original Gaultier pieces feature. His 50 years making threads are in the spotlight. Unsurprisingly, the whole thing also plays out like a party. So far, London, Tokyo, Munich, Porto, Lisbon, Milan, Barcelona and Osaka have also revelled in the Jean Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show experience. Next, it's Brisbane's turn. The River City will welcome the Australian debut of the show — and the Aussie-exclusive season, too — during Brisbane Festival 2024. Donning attire that Gaultier would approve of isn't a prerequisite of attending the production, but you know that you want to dress the part if you're heading along. Jean Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show will kick off with Brisbane Festival itself, starting on Friday, August 30. The Australian season runs until Sunday, September 15, taking over the South Bank Piazza — which forms part of the Festival Garden for the duration of Brisbane Festival. Of course Jean Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show emphasises its titular figure's boundary-pushing work, his focus on individual expression, and his championing of queer aesthetics and LGBTQIA+ causes. Alongside the hefty range of outfits, it also features a suitable genre-defying soundtrack of disco, funk, pop, rock, new wave and punk tunes as actors and dancers — plus circus artists as well — take to the stage. The diverse cast of faces bringing the show to life spans even further, too, with celebrities and other special guests filming cameos that play during the production.
USB sticks are stripped back to basics with Flashkus, an innovative design by Russian company Art Lebedev Studio. Reflecting on the disposable nature of electronic storage, the design team foresaw a near future in which "all electronics will be contained on the tip of a detachable cardboard module." Each Flashkus is created from thin strips of recyclable cardboard, allowing for easy disk-labeling and the potential to recycle the body of the disk once you're done. The Flashkus is eco-friendly, no-nonsense and minimalistic. The team behind its creation predict it "is going to be an even more convenient storage device than the floppy disk was back then."
How Billy Van Creamy manages to churn out some of Melbourne's finest ice cream from a truck is a mystery. But as well as roaming the city in their ice cream van, BVC have also opened a store which is always parked at Best Street in Fitzroy North. All gelato is made by hand with all natural ingredients like organic milk, crunchy nuts and vanilla beans. The rotating selection of flavours includes the salted caramel, espresso and an incredibly rich vanilla bean ice cream. There are also a host of vegan flavours, of which you can't go past the peanut butter choc chip.
While La Niña may be threatening hot vax summer, no doubt you still intend on living it up over the warmer months. After all, you've got mates to catch up with, new bars to check out and a swathe of live gigs to see. And, with all these social occasions coming up, you're probably keeping an eye out for some new summer threads. Lucky for you, top seltzer brand White Claw has teamed up with local fashion brand Barney Cools to bring you the ultimate wardrobe to cruise around in this summer. The brands are basically the epitome of summer, so the collab makes sense. And the best news? You can score it for free. The White Claw x Barney Cools all-white capsule collection includes three epic items: a terry cord party shirt, a breezy vintage-style tee and corduroy cap. Each limited-edition piece is designed to be genderless, too, so they'll suit anyone and everyone who's keen to make the most of summer. Oh, and did we mention that the prize also includes one White Claw variety pack? The new-release pack includes four flavours: watermelon, mango, lime and grapefruit. There are ten White Claw x Barney Cools packs to be won around the country. Should you win, you'll score some White Claws and all three clothing items, so you can don them to the beach, pub, park and just about everywhere else you plan to hit this summer. Keen to win some new summer threads? Enter your details below to go in the running. [competition]836217[/competition]
If your 2024 resolutions involve seeing stunning art and travelling, here's one of the best ways to tick both boxes: a visit to digital-only art gallery teamLab Borderless in Tokyo. Not only is the Japanese venue finally set to reopen in a new location, but it'll welcome folks back in with a spectacular array of never-before-seen installations. If you fancy being surrounded by bubbles, jelly, flowers and oceans, you'll be especially thrilled. When it initially launched in 2018, teamLab Borderless instantly became one of the most spectacular must-sees on any Tokyo trip; however, the venue has been closed for a year and a half while shifting to its new site at Azabudai Hills. Come Friday, February 9, it'll reopen its doors with another dazzling array of artworks — pieces that epitomise terms like breathtaking, kaleidoscopic, glorious and delightful, and are worth a trip to Tokyo to see all by themselves. The new teamLab Borderless will span both evolved and brand-new artworks. So, even if you've been before at its old digs, you won't just be seeing the same things — even though they're definitely worth enjoying more than once. While the full range of works that'll feature at teamLab Borderless 2.0 still hasn't yet been revealed, the list keeps growing — and impressing. Pieces announced so far include the jaw-dropping Light Sculpture series, which cycles through an array of light formations and colours, as well as an eye-catching mirrored infinity room-style space that's tentatively been titled Microcosmoses. Among the world-premiere installations, there's also Bubble Universe: Physical Light, Bubbles of Light, Wobbling Light, and Environmental Light, which is comprised of spheres that look like soap bubbles and jelly, and will move through various colours. With Flowers and People — Megalith Crystal Formation, you'll spy florals bud and blossom, then wither and decay, repeating that pattern endlessly. And thanks to Black Waves — Megalith Crystal Formation, the sea gets a nod. Attendees can also enjoy Giant Solidified Spark, which is a sphere made from rays of light — plus Wall Without a Wall, which you'll see as a wall even though nothing physical exists. In its original guise, teamLab Borderless was also anointed the most-visited single-artist museum in the world during its first year of operation. Expect that to happen again in central Tokyo, where it's relocating to from its past Odaiba base. That means that you'll no longer be crossing over Tokyo's gorgeous Rainbow Bridge to get there — but your eyes will have much to feast on inside. If you were lucky enough to mosey around the OG spot before the pandemic, you'll know that the Borderless experience involves vibrant, constantly moving, always-changing interactive digital art keeps that keeps glowing and rearranging before your eyes. As the name makes plain, nothing is fixed or static here. Pieces move from one space to the next, and interact with other works. Sometimes, several different projections and installations mingle together. For attendees, peering at the end results isn't merely a passive experience, with the venue encouraging patrons to "wander, explore and discover". teamLab might be best-known for its Tokyo site, but it doesn't only operate in Japan. A second teamLab Borderless has already been open in Shanghai since 2019, and others are slated for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Hamburg in Germany — the former without an exact opening date, the latter slated to launch in 2025. The organisation also operates a different museum in Macao, and has its first teamLab Phenomena on the way for the Saadiyat Cultural District in Abu Dhabi, again targeting a 2024 launch. The list goes on, with teamLab's works a drawcard wherever they pop up. teamLab Borderless Tokyo: MORI Building Digital Art Museum will reopen at its new location at Azabudai Hills, Garden Plaza B B1F, 1-2-4 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo sometime on Friday, February 9, 2024, with tickets on sale from Tuesday, January 16 — for more information, visit the museum's website. Images: teamLab, Exhibition view of teamLab Borderless: MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM, 2024, Azabudai Hills, Tokyo © teamLab, courtesy Pace Gallery.
If you've even the smallest creative bone in your body, Django Unchained will tickle it. Wildly creative, funny, and frightening, true to form yet never predictable, this is one of those films that makes you want to write one of these kinds of films. Set two years before the start of the American Civil War when slavery was still rampant in the south, it's tempting (if also stupid) to think of Django Unchained as some sort of bizarre prequel to Spielberg's Lincoln. Initially the eponymous Django (Jamie Foxx) walks wearied and defeated in a chain gang until he's unexpectedly freed by the eccentric dentist Dr King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). This mannerly yet murderous bounty hunter then offers Django the chance to both exact revenge and make his fortune by murdering white outlaws in exchange for money. With the crosshatched scars of countless lashings on his back a daily reminder of such men's cruelty, Django leaps at the chance and soon proves a natural in the business. His wife, however, remains the property of vile plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), a character so heinous and sadistic that Tarantino subsequently deemed him 'beyond redemption', and hence a rescue plan takes form. It's perhaps no surprise, then, that this Tarantino tale of slavery and vengeance dials the violence up to 11 from almost the opening scene and never looks back. It does occasionally border on 'look-away' levels of horror; however — just as it was with Inglourious Basterds — this 'revenge porn' sub-genre of cinema uncomfortably satisfies through its savagery. Moreover, Tarantino's preparedness to brutally kill off any (and, often, all) his principal characters without even a moment's notice lends every scene an undercurrent of unpredictable tension that commands your attention. Traditionally, Tarantino's main shortcoming as a director has been his fondness for playing with form in a manner that denies his audiences the opportunity to entirely immerse themselves in the experience. Whether through unexpected soundtrack choices, mid-movie title sequences or just direct conversations with the audience, you're aware you're watching a movie and hence sit entertained but not always engrossed. Those same elements are at play again in Django, but for the first time since Kill Bill, they advance and enhance the plot rather than specifically (and jarringly) draw your attention to it. In short, it's a delightful return to form. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_iH0UBYDI4g
