Spring and outdoor festivals go hand-in-hand, and Melbourne has the packed calendar of events to prove it. Add another one to the list, with Collingwood's Peel Street getting in the action with their own fest — a new, free, day-long combination of music, arts, culture, food and markets. Given that it's called the Peel Street Festival, there's no prizes for guessing where it'll be taking place from midday until 8pm on November 11. As for what's on offer, attendees can expect a community celebration boasting live sets from Aussie legend Archie Roach and blues group Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, an array of stalls serving up edible fare, and even a record fare. Smith Street's The Grace Darling Hotel and Lazerpig will also be hosting live acts throughout the day, including Pillow Pro, Golden Helmet and India Grace. If you're eager for some spring fun in the sun — or beneath Peel Street's leafy trees — block out the second Saturday in November in your diary.
Are you already missing your summer routine of lazily re-watching old classics? The NGV have just the thing. Dripping with saturated colour and packed full of femme fatales, the photographs of Alex Prager will transport you straight back to the intrigue and drama of your favourite Hitchcock film. In this, her first solo show down under, you can see a vast array of her works ranging from 2007 until the present day. But, trust us: you'll walk out feeling as though you just took a trip to 1960s Hollywood. Highly reminiscent of the work of fellow US photographer Cindy Sherman, Prager's work often deals with issues of representation and reality; in particular a familiar kind of hyper-stylised retro femininity. In her aptly-titled Polyester series, Prager's women are clad in go-go dresses, wigs, thick slicks of liquid eyeliner and thrown into various uncertain terrains. Think: Twin Peaks in lurid technicolour. But to get the full force of this Lynch-inspired madness, you should head straight for her latest work Face in the Crowd. Conveyed via three-channel video, this complex and straight-up beautiful photographic series guides you through the heavily stylised crowds on American beaches, in train stations, movie theatres, airports and parks with the help of The Hunger Games' own Elizabeth Banks. Bonus: the artist has even curated a handy exhibition e-book to guide you through it all.
Leanne Failla's design practice involves investigating how objects play a role in shaping space and the 'intangible' influence objects play in our reading of physical locations. A collection of objects to retain from a collection of objects to discard sees Failla continue her long-held interest in this idea and introduces her own personal narrative by working with objects she owns and values – "reproducing their form using other objects in her possession". By using methods of deconstruction in her art practice, Failla dissects how objects shape space and our experience of it. Failla has previously exhibited her works at the Sheraton Hotel, Seventh Gallery and c3 Contemporary Art Space and has collaborated with Artland as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival. Failla is also the co-director of interior design practice Itself Studio, which she heads alongside fellow designer Jaime Vella. A collection of objects to retain from a collection of objects to discard is on at Blindside Gallery and runs from Wednesday, September 13 until Saturday, September 30. Image: courtesy of Leanne Failla.
Every year, Refugee Week sees thousands of refugee-inspired events take place around the world, to raise awareness of refugees' experiences and celebrate their contributions to society. Taking over Australia from Sunday, June 16 to Saturday, June 22, the 2019 festival is offering a myriad of film screenings, feasts, gigs, art exhibitions, theatre shows and more. The theme is #withrefugees and, more specifically, "share a meal, share a story". Get along to the Footscray Community Arts Centre from 6pm on Tuesday, June 18 to watch Chauka, Please Tell Us the Time, a film co-directed by Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani — who has been held in the Australian-run Manus Island detention centre since 2013. Or, over in Coburg from 6pm on Thursday, June 20, you can catch This Is Home, a documentary about four Syrian families starting a new life in Baltimore, US. All proceeds from the latter will go towards Second Stitch, a textiles studio run by refugees and people seeking asylum. Meanwhile, the Immigration Museum Discovery Centre in the CBD will run free screenings of Meet Fadak, an intimate documentary featuring 25-year-old lawyer Fadak Alfayadh who, 16 years ago, left Iraq as a refugee. If you're looking to feast, everything from celebration dinners to community lunches to coffee welcoming ceremonies are also on the agenda. In Australia, Refugee Week is coordinated by the Refugee Council. Image: Chauka, Please Tell Us the Time.
When news arrived that Brooklyn Nine-Nine is coming to an end after its upcoming eighth season, did it hit you a little harder because you've spent the past year binging and re-binging its latest batch of episodes? According to a rundown of Australia's most-rented and -bought video-on-demand titles from 2020, plenty of TV lovers spent the last chaotic year watching comedic cop antics. The show ranks second on the television list — and, across both film and TV, it has a heap of company. The Australian Home Entertainment Distributors Association (AHEDA) has released four top ten lists, all detailing exactly what Aussies were hiring and buying to watch online in 2020. Netflix did something similar late last year, when it reminded us all that we'd feasted our eyeballs on Cobra Kai, The Haunting of Bly Manor to Enola Holmes and Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness; however, this new rundown focuses on things you would've headed to digital purchase and rental stores to see (so, to services such as Google Play, YouTube Movies, Amazon Video, Apple TV, the Foxtel Store, Telstra Box Office and Fetch). With cinemas closed for months, a number of recent flicks then fast-tracked online, it's hardly surprising that movies that quickly jumped to digital proved popular. Jumanji: The Next Level topped the best-selling list, followed by Sonic the Hedgehog. Also now sitting in virtual movie collections around the country: Frozen 2, Joker, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise Of Skywalker, Bad Boys For Life, The Gentlemen, Bloodshot, Scoob! and Ford v Ferrari. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyYgDtY2AMY Some of the above films also feature on the most-rented list, which Joker topped. Sonic the Hedgehog came in second again, with The Gentlemen, Jumanji: The Next Level and Gemini Man rounding out the top five. They were followed by 1917, Knives Out, Ford v Ferrari, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and Hustlers. And, if you made an effort to support local fare while Australia's creative sector was affected by the pandemic, AHEDA has detailed which ten Aussie-produced movies received the most love. Ride Like a Girl came out on top, The Invisible Man took second spot and Miss Fisher and The Crypt of Tears nabbed third. Then came Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan, 100% Wolf, Go!, Peter Rabbit, Black Water: Abyss, Carl Barron — Drinking with a Fork and The Nightingale. On the TV front, Brooklyn Nine-Nine's seventh season was only pipped by Outlander's fifth season. On the rest of the televisio list: The 100's seventh season, Vikings' sixth season, The Undoing, Supernatural's 15th season, Big Little Lies' second season, Game of Thrones' eighth season, Chernobyl and the first season of Succession. AHEDA also noted that the Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter franchises were popular (unsurprisingly), and that digital purchases and rentals soared in April and May (again, to the surprise of of no one) by between 29–55 percent. To rent or buy any of of the above titles online, head to services such as Google Play, YouTube Movies, Amazon Video, Apple TV, the Foxtel Store, Telstra Box Office and Fetch.
The artists at Pretty Dirty Theatre will tread the boards at the Southbank Theatre, with an anarchic tale of insanity and obsession. A loose, contemporary adaptation of Hermann Hesse’s early twentieth-century novel Steppenwolf, The Lonely Wolf is the latest work featured as part of the Melbourne Theatre Company’s Neon Festival of Independent Theatre, which continues to showcase homegrown theatre-makers with unconventional voices. Written and directed by company founder Gary Abrahams, The Lonely Wolf (or an Incomplete Guide for the Unadvanced Soul) combines theatre and dance with the writing of psychoanalyst James Hillman. The aim is to provide an irreverent take on the philosophical drama found in Hesse’s source material, about a man divided between his human and animal personas. The Lonely Wolf runs from June 11 until June 21, with the June 14 show followed by an audience Q&A. For more information, visit the MTC Neon Festival website.
Chef Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa is on his way to Melbourne. The renowned restaurateur behind Nobu – whose kitchens stretch from Beijing to Budapest to Beverly Hills – will host a pair of big ticket events at Nobu Melbourne with ten other Nobu chefs form around the world as part of Australia's first ever Nobu Festival. On Wednesday, March 15 and Thursday, March 16, chef Nobu will be joined by Mark Edwards of Nobu London and Chef Sean Tan of Nobu Melbourne for a two-hour masterclass in which they reveal the secrets behind some of their most celebrated dishes. Guests will get the chance to watch the chefs in action, while sampling the various dishes that have made the Nobu brand so iconic. You'll also take home a signed Nobu cookbook. The class kicks off from midday, with tickets no small investment at $225 per person. Thursday night will also see the visiting chef host an exclusive dinner and cocktail party, complete with canapés from Nobu menus the world over including signature dishes such as his Matsuhisa beef tataki and black cod with butter lettuce. Again, tickets are pricey at $155 a head — it is the Nobu, after all. Image: InterContinental Hong Kong via Flickr.
Celebrate Australia Day with toasties and pavlova cocktails at Village Melbourne on St Kilda Road. Open from midday, the garden bar and bistro is bringing back the Trailer Park for a day of food truck-catered revelry in the sun. There'll be toasties by Toasta, sausages from The Snag Society and mouth-watering burgers courtesy of The Dude Food Man — plus a self-serve frozen yogurt bar and alcoholic icy poles. Alcoholic icy poles! And did we mention the pavlova cocktails? We've never been so proud to be Australian.
The best and brightest in new queer cinema is coming to Melbourne cinemas — and to couches around the country as well. When the Melbourne Queer Film Festival returns from Thursday, November 18–Monday, November 29, it's embracing big-screen sessions via a huge 145-film lineup. And, for folks who can't make it along in person, including everyone outside of Melbourne, it's also screening more than 40 flicks online. That's the film festival dream these days, giving movie lovers the flexibility to sit in a darkened theatre or watch along from home. You'll need to attend in person to make the most of MQFF's opening night, however, with the 2021 fest — the event's 31st, in fact — kicking things off with a gala screening of powerful animated documentary Flee at The Jam Factory. Other highlights include moving drama Great Freedom, which hits MQFF after picking up a prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival; closing night's Fanny: The Right to Rock, about female rock band Fanny; the Los Angeles-set Summertime, which focuses on 25 of the city's residents as their lives intersect; French romance Anaïs in Love; and the Udo Kier-starring Swan Song. Or, there's also striking Albanian drama The Hill Where Lionesses Roar; Dramarama, a coming-out comedy about theatre kids; the St Vincent and Carrie Brownstein-starring The Nowhere Inn; and South Korea's A Distance Place.
Looking for a perfect Christmas present for that special someone in your life? Here's another artisan market to add to your yuletide hunt. On Saturday, December 19, more than 70 designers and stallholders will descend upon Melbourne Town Hall for the Melbourne Made Gift Market, selling handcrafted gifts and tasty treats all day long. Among the local makers announced for the event are ceramic jewellery specialist and O Design, paper artists Cheerio Paper Co., street and homeware designers Neon Pear, and leather crafters The Leatholic. Alternatively, if you're after pressies of the edible variety, you can snap up chocolates from Orna's Choc Rocks, balsamic vinegar from Sticky Balsamic and delectable cakes from Bethany Claire Cakes. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. To really get your shopping list in order, check out the event page on Facebook, here.
Crack open a beer and catch a movie under the stars at Geelong's openair theatre. Popping up at the Little Creatures Brewery (where they also brew Furphy) over summer, the Furphy Outdoor Cinema will screen a selection of classic flicks films while serving up top-notch grub and ice cold bevs. Fancy a trip down the Princes Highway? Lighting up the night on four consecutive Wednesday evenings, the season begins on January 9 with Jurassic Park. That'll be followed by Pulp Fiction on January 17, Happy Gilmore on January 23 before the season comes to a close on January 30 with Fight Club. Doors at the Furphy Outdoor Cinema open at 8pm for an approximately 9pm start. Entry is via the brewery canteen, which will be serving up food until 10pm.
Come hear the music play at the eighth annual Melbourne Cabaret Festival. Returning to Chapel Off Chapel in Prahran as well as The Butterfly Club in the Melbourne CBD, this year's festival will feature almost two full week's worth of shows from established and emerging cabaret performers from all around the country. The fun begins on Tuesday, June 20 with a dazzling opening night gala emceed by the festival's artistic director Dolly Diamond. The famous diva will also feature in her own show, Dolly Diamond: The Lady is a Tramp, featuring tales of her "life, loves and (alleged) lascivious behaviour". Other standout shows on the program include Queenie van de Zandt's Blue: The Story of Joni Mitchell and Jon Jackson's Queen of Broadway: The Ethel Merman Story, plus Australia's Boys of Motown featuring Vincent Hooper, Richard Swanson and Barnaby Reiter. You can view the full lineup here.
Buy this for a dollar: a history-making gay rom-com that's smart, sweet, self-aware and funny, and also deep knows the genre it slips into, including the heteronormative tropes and cliches that viewers have seen ad nauseam. Actually, Billy Eichner would clearly prefer that audiences purchase tickets for Bros for more that that sum of money, even if he spent five seasons offering it to New Yorkers in Billy on the Street while sprinting along the sidewalk and yelling about pop culture. Thinking about that comedy series comes with the territory here, however, and not just because Eichner brought it back to promote this very movie. Starring and co-written by the Parks and Recreation and The Lion King actor — with Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the Bad Neighbours franchise's Nicholas Stoller directing and co-scripting — Bros both presents and unpacks the public persona that helped make Billy on the Street such a hit: opinionated, forceful and wry, as well as acidic and cranky. No one person, be it the version of himself that Eichner plays in the series that helped push him to fame or the fictional character he brings to the screen in Bros — or, in-between, his struggling comedian and actor part in three-season sitcom Difficult People, too — is just those five traits, of course. One of Bros' strengths is how it examines why it's easy to lean into that personality, where the sheen of caustic irritability comes from, the neuroses it's covering up and what all that means when it comes to relationships. The movie does so knowingly as well. It's well aware that Eichner's fans are familiar with his on-screen type, and that even newcomers likely are also. Accordingly, when Bros begins, Eichner's in-film alter ego is shouting about pop culture and being adamant, grumpy and cutting about it. In fact, he's on a podcast, where he's relaying his failed attempt to pen a script for exactly the kind of flick he's in. A mainstream, studio-produced gay romantic comedy that starts out riffing on the difficulties of making a mainstream, studio-produced gay romantic comedy? Yes, that's Bros. ("Am I going to be in the middle of some high-speed chase and all of a sudden fall in love with Ice Cube?", Eichner asks as the feature's protagonist Bobby Lieber.) A film about a gay man known for a biting and droll disposition, starring a gay man similarly known for that type of biting and droll disposition? Yes, that's Bros as well. It's also a movie that makes fun of Hallmark rom-com schmaltz while featuring one of the US network's go-tos — that'd be Sense, Sensibility and Snowmen, A Shoe Addict's Christmas, Christmas in My Heart and The Mistletoe Promise's Luke Macfarlane — and a flick blasting Schitt's Creek some scorn while charting a comparable queer storyline. So, it's a feature that wears its obviousness and its contradictions in tandem, purposefully and proudly. Eichner's Bobby is 40, just received an LGBTQIA+-community Best Cis Male Gay Man award and has a dream gig setting up America's first national queer history museum. Rom-com logic, which Bros heartily subscribes to, means he has to discover his seeming opposite in a memorable way: a gay dance party where he complains to shirtless probate lawyer Aaron Shepard (Macfarlane) and finds sparks flying. How Stoller and Eichner handle this scene says plenty about the film, and the authentic view of gay romance, dating and sex it's committed to. Neither man — Grindr-swiping, emotionally unavailable, hardly content as they both are — is anything but himself. For Bobby, that means awkwardly flirting, getting furious when Aaron disappears mid-conversation, tracking him down and telling him about it, but also being non-committal and even angry for being attracted to him. For Aaron, it involves continuing to breeze around the party like nothing out of the ordinary has happened; "I'm supposed to fuck him and his husband later," he tells Bobby about two other buff, sweaty guys on the dancefloor as they're chatting. Even when the genre isn't giving the world the first romantic comedy about two gay men to be released by a major Hollywood studio — the first romantic comedy both written by and starring an openly gay man as well, and also one with an entirely LGBTQ+ main cast — rom-coms adore Bros' basic scenario. In the broad strokes, there's plenty that's universal in the overarching storyline about opposites attracting, the chaos that springs, and the risks and vulnerabilities it takes to love someone. Still, even when it's nodding to Meg Ryan's filmography and also managing to be a Christmas flick as well — and when it's brightly shot and bouncily paced, which is always — this is never a movie where its leads just happen to be gay. A straight couple couldn't just be subbed in with zero changes, and the chief aim is never to show that the same stock-standard struggles plague everyone in matters of the heart regardless of sexuality. Instead, Bros is brimming with detail specific to being a gay man today. That's true in the throuples, group sex and "must see pic of ass" dating-app requests that spark a hunt for ring lights and razors, and in the commentary about tragedy-heavy mainstream queer movies that typically catapult heterosexual actors to Hollywood awards. And, it echoes in the short but hilarious gag about a fictional new app called Zellweger, "for gays who want to talk about actresses and go to bed". Bros spans further, however, examining how Bobby has internalised a lifetime of homophobia directed his way, how that's shaped the persona he projects to the world, its influence over his romantic outlook and his underlying self-criticism. When the film also ponders why he's so conflicted about Aaron, and so acerbic and cynical towards parts of queer culture and its stereotypes, it digs into the same ideas — with a joke always mere seconds away, but with both thoughtfulness and heart. Bros remains unashamedly frothy, although never syrupy or saccharine. It's predictable, even if you've somehow only ever seen one rom-com before now. It runs on charm, care, warmth and insight, though — and more than enough eagerness to make the most of making history. There's just as much willingness, too, to add weight and heft to the picture's gay take on rom-com conventions, all amid Debra Messing appearances, Cher gags, Fire Island's Bowen Yang having all the fun as a rich investor, and the savvy bickering between Bobby's museum colleagues about the infinite shades of the rainbow gleaming in the LGBTQIA+ community. Crucially, there's an engaging and heartfelt boy-meets-boy story at the core of it all, as brought to the screen with two well-matched and affecting performances, in a movie that's determined to be equally honest, pioneering and entertaining.
Sydney residents are currently in lockdown due to the city's growing wave of COVID-19 cases; however, they now can't head to Victoria even if stay-at-home conditions ended. In response to New South Wales' expanding coronavirus outbreak, its southern neighbour has closed its borders — to the entirety of NSW, and also to the Australian Capital Territory. Coming into effect 1t 11.59pm yesterday, Sunday, July 11, Victoria has declared NSW and the ACT red zones under its traffic light-style system for grading other regions of Australia according to their COVID-19 status. That colour coding means that Victoria will only allow the state's own residents who've been in NSW or the ACT to obtain permits to return home; however, they'll then need to get tested and quarantine for 14 days. If you're not a Victorian resident and you've been in either state or territory, you are no longer be able to enter Victoria without an exception, exemption or other valid permit (and, if you try, you'll be fined up to $4957). For folks who live in the NSW–Victoria border region, you can cross the border without a permit, but you will need to have proof of address with you. That said, you can't enter if you have been to a red zone outside of the cross-border area — or if you have COVID-19, any symptoms, or you're classed as a close contact of a positive case. https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1414102690523607043 The closure comes just over a year since the border between New South Wales and Victoria closed for the first time in more than 100 years back in July 2020. Before then, it last shut in 1919 during the Spanish Flu. Victoria had already classed parts of the state, including all of Greater Sydney, as red zones in response to the current outbreak — a move that date backs to last month. The latest change has been put in place as NSW's coronavirus cases continue to spike, with 77 new locally acquired cases reported on Sunday, July 11 — and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian noting that she expected the number for today, Monday, July 12, to be more than 100. In a statement, the Victorian Government said that "with case numbers continuing to increase in New South Wales, Victorian public health authorities are concerned about the risks of transmission beyond current red zones in Greater Sydney and surrounds, and the potential risks this poses to the Victorian community from people entering our state." Residents of the Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour regions have been under lockdown for more than two weeks, with those conditions tightened on Friday, July 9. A July 16 end date for lockdown has been announced previously, although, with case numbers continuing to climb, it now looks extremely unlikely that the stay-at-home period will end then. You can find out more about the status of COVID-19 at the NSW Health and Victorian Department of Health websites. Top image: Mulwala Bridge by Yun Huang Yong via Flickr.
Every day is like a party at Moon Dog's sprawling Preston venue Moon Dog World, so expect big things for its New Year's Eve celebrations. If you're partial to an early kick-off, the doors will be open from 11.45am for lunch, with appearances from all the usual gang, including the barbecue bacon burger and the charcoal chook with chips and gravy. The bar's going to be slinging $15 jugs of the new Fizzer seltzer, as well as whipping up special Fizzer slushies to help you keep your cool while kicking back by that indoor lagoon. And, of course, there's the bar's hefty lineup of house beers on tap, available throughout the day. Come 5pm, the DJ decks will be firing up the sounds of Total Giovanni, Close Counters, MzRizk and Melburnerz, spinning until the wee hours. [caption id="attachment_744574" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] Entry to this one is free, with both bookings and walk-ins available. At 12,000 square metres, there's plenty of space here to see out 2020 with a bang. Top image: Kate Shanasy
There are plenty of ways to describe something that's fun while it lasts, but finishes up prematurely. And yes, many of them could be followed by "title of your sex tape". So, with US TV network NBC announcing a few months back that beloved sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine will come to an end after its next season, we're sure you've been thinking about Jake Peralta's favourite retort for a while now. We're sure the phrase will be uttered at least once in the show's final batch of episodes, too — which will air in America in August. B99 is due to wrap up its police-focused comedic antics with a ten-episode eighth season, which will launch following the Tokyo Olympics, NBC has just announced. Just when the show's latest instalments will surface Down Under hasn't yet been revealed, though. In Australia, SBS has fast-tracked recent seasons — so fingers crossed that we'll be farewelling the Nine-Nine crew at the same time as our overseas counterparts. When those final episodes hit screens, it'll be your last chance to spend time in Brooklyn's fictional 99th police precinct, and with Peralta (Andy Samberg), Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz), Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio), Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) and Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher) — and even Hitchcock (Dirk Blocker) and Scully (Joel McKinnon Miller). Well, other than binging your way through the show's entire run again and again, a pastime that will never get old. Whenever any B99 news arrives — happy or sad — there are plenty of appropriate ways to mark this development. You could break out a sorrowful yoghurt, Terry Jeffords-style. If you're more like Captain Raymond Holt, perhaps you'd like to treat yourself to a trip to a barrel museum. You could also channel your inner Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti) and dance about your distressed feelings, organise your entire house as you know Santiago would, or say cheers to Peralta by watching Die Hard over and over. And, to fill the time until the new episodes drop, you can also watch this cool cool cool B99 training video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaoBN_e9Om0 Brooklyn Nine-Nine's eighth and final season is set to air in the US from August 2021. We'll update you when an air date Down Under is announced.
Everyone loves dessert. In fact, some of us even indulge in a cheeky "second dessert" when the evening calls for it. But now you can indulge in an epic five course dessert, thanks to Syracuse head chef and all-round legend Philippa Sibley. Affectionately known as the Queen of Desserts, Philippa will host her first event at the restaurant this November. Those with a sweet tooth are invited to join what will be a breathtaking degustation, with matched drinks to boot. Guests will start with the Snow White & Rose Red (strawberry soup, coconut sorbet, rhubarb and rose) before moving on to tasting the Meyer Lemon Tart. Third course comes in the form of Hansel & Gretel (a pineapple tart satin with Speculoos ice cream) before the Teddy Bear's Picnic comes out to play (a toasted lavender ice cream sandwich with pear sorbet, blueberry jam and honey). Saving the best for last is Sibley's take on the much loved chocolate bar in the Syracuse Snickers. A selection of cocktails, wine, mocktails and soft drinks will be matched to the offerings by the restaurant's talented bar staff.
Winter's coming to a close and we found one way you can end the chilly season on a very toasty high note, involving a lavish, three-course cheese-filled feast. On Wednesday, August 21, star cheesemonger Anthony Femia (Maker & Monger) is teaming up with Arbory Bar & Eatery to deliver a one-off winter dinner that's sure to warm those cockles and fire up those tastebuds. The menu kicks off with one seriously dreamy entree, featuring no less than three different kinds of cheese, alongside fresh baguette, Meatsmith charcuterie, cornichons and peppers. It's all matched to a pinot noir from Gippsland's Lucinda Estate. Next up, you'll be digging into a monster cheese fondue, with the likes of roasted parsnip, warm sourdough and veggies for dipping, and the 2014 Domaine Dupasquier Roussette de Savoie altesse for sipping. Cheese even creeps cleverly into dessert, which will be a modern reworking of the traditional madeleine with gorgonzola, paired with a serve of hot spiced cider. Tickets to the cheese feast will set you back $115, including three courses and all matching drinks.
Things are getting a little spicy this month with Mingle Seasoning and Bissel B's collaboration. Known for its plant-based products, Mingle Seasoning is adding its flare to Bissel B's bagels with its limited-edition chilli lime 'Lil Salty' blend. Dubbed the 'birria bagel', the collaborative effort is comprised of slow-cooked beef featuring flavours inspired by the birria taco. The concoction is then packed within a delectable Bissel B bagel with veggies and herbs. A side of birria taco-inspired sauce is served alongside the bagel, as well as slices of corn. To make things more exciting, 100 free birria bagels will be given out to customers at Bissel B's Elsternwick location on Saturday, April 13, starting at 10am until stocks run out.
UPDATE, January 31, 2023: Skinamarink streams via Shudder from Thursday, February 2. Age may instil nocturnal bravery in most of us, stopping the flinching and wincing at things that routinely go bump, thump and jump in the night in our ordinary homes, but the childhood feeling of lying awake in the dark with shadows, shapes and strange sounds haunting an eerie void never seeps from memory. Close your eyes, cast your mind back, and the unsettling and uncertain sensation can easily spring again — that's how engrained it is. Or, with your peepers wide open, you could just watch new micro-budget Canadian horror movie Skinamarink. First-time feature filmmaker Kyle Edward Ball has even made this breakout hit, which cost just $15,000 to produce, in the house he grew up in. His characters: two kids, four-year-old Kevin (debutant Lucas Paul) and six-year-old Kaylee (fellow newcomer Dali Rose Tetreault), who wake up deep into the evening. The emotion he's trading in: pure primal dread, because to view this digitally shot but immensely grainy-looking flick is to be plunged back to a time when nightmares lingered the instant that the light switched off. Skinamarink does indeed jump backwards, meeting Kevin and Kaylee in 1995 when they can't find their dad (Ross Paul, Moby Dick) or mum (Jaime Hill, Give and Take) after waking. But, befitting a movie that's an immersive collage of distressing and disquieting images and noises from the get-go, it also pulsates with an air of being trapped in time. It takes its name from a nonsense nursery-rhyme song from 1910, then includes cartoons from the 1930s on Kevin and Kaylee's television to brighten up the night's relentless darkness. In its exacting, hissing sound design especially, it brings David Lynch's 1977 debut Eraserhead to mind. And the influence of 1999's The Blair Witch Project and the 2007-born Paranormal Activity franchise is just as evident, although Skinamarink is far more ambient, experimental and experiential. Ball has evolved from crafting YouTube shorts inspired by online commenters' worst dreams to this: his own creepypasta. Driven more by mood than story — sleepwalking more than driven, perhaps — Skinamarink sees its two pint-sized protagonists react to their parents' absence by embracing a childhood staple: camping out in front of the TV, where those animated shows play, with cereal, blankets and toys to help comfort them. It isn't Saturday morning, though, and they can hear odd noises echoing from the floor above. Also, those cartoons seem to be looping. Plus, this unnerving spin on Home Alone also involves doors and windows vanishing in glitches, then the toilet disappearing. Household items, such as chairs, dolls and video tapes, suddenly become attached to the ceiling and walls as well. And, amid the ASMR-style whispering that the film's central siblings utter at each other, there's a disconcerting voice attempting to get Kaylee to venture upstairs into her parents' bedroom — and to do the one thing that kids know they shouldn't at night, aka look under the bed. Has something horrific happened, leaving Skinamarink's two tots on their lonesome? Is this a case of parental neglect, abandonment or abuse? Has divorce disrupted the family unit ("I don't want to talk about mom," Kaylee says at one point), and this is the fraught and fractured aftermath? Or, are supernatural forces — demonic even — at work? Is it just panic, but in that innocent-minded way where everything seems scarier and more catastrophic in a young brain and heart that trusts in its guardians as a main source of comfort, safety and protection? And why is there no end to the agitated night, and to the accompanying atmosphere of fright? Writing plus directing, and leaning on first-time cinematographer Jamie McRae heavily, Ball lets all these questions and thoughts flow through his disorientated audience's heads. As Skinamarink sparks queries but gleefully eschews clearcut answers, saying that it sees Kevin and Kaylee isn't quite accurate. The slow-cinema effort does indeed focus on two kids alone at night when weird things occur, but that narrative summary can't cut to the movie's heart without being paired with a description of how the picture tells its tale. An exercise in precise framing and just-as-meticulous editing, it flits between patient glimpses around the potentially haunted house, all at angles as off-kilter as the events being captured. The feature peers ahead from low to the ground, mimicking a preschooler sitting — or stares upwards, spotting what someone with their eyes trained at the ceiling while they can't sleep might. It cycles between shots frequently, with little in the way of logic. And, in these barely lit snippets, faces are non-existent. Rather, legs and backs place people in sight, any glance someone's way feeling stolen, surreptitious and another signal that all isn't right. Even in its most blatant examples, and even exploring existential themes applicable to us all as the whole genre repeatedly does, horror flicks have always been a Rorschach test. What upsets one person when it's splashed across a screen mightn't raise a goosebump in another — but Skinamarink takes that concept a step further, building it into the entire process of watching its artificially grained-up imagery. Plenty that lurks in this always-flickering film is dim, fuzzy and hardly distinguishable. Scattered Lego blocks, a toddler's chatter telephone, corners of walls and ceilings, narrow hallways, fragments on the TV screen: they're among the movie's most distinctive visuals. What else one makes out in the coloured static is often up to them, although Ball does deploy some shots as jump scares. He uses the same approach to audio as well, with parts of the sparse dialogue indecipherable and almost inaudible, and not all of it earning on-screen subtitles. Most viewers of Skinamarink likely won't be watching it in their own childhood homes, but Ball wants to transport his audience there anyway: flailing around in the dark, hazily unsure of what's happening or why, stress stretched far further than one would like, and firmly anxious and alarmed. His film smartly understands how our imaginations can conjure up our biggest fears from nothing but the unknown, and gets ample mileage out of putting that idea into practice. And, when it can be seen in dark houses, it'd make a spectacular double with fellow recent horror flick We're All Going to the World's Fair. Both get creepy in everyday abodes, reflect upon screens, know the inescapable power of perturbing images, couldn't exist without online horror and feel like festering collective nightmares — insidiously and unshakeably so.
Spooky season is almost upon us and the scary costume ideas are flowing — but why should your pooch miss out on all the creepy fun? This year, the dogs of Melbourne will once again get their own version of a huge communal trick-or-treat, when the Howl-O-Ween Paw Parade makes its way through the streets of Port Melbourne on Sunday, October 30. Furry friends from far and wide are invited to join in the roving festivities, which'll kick off with a group amble along Bay Street from 10am. Expect fur-shionable costumes galore, from the spooky to the adorable, as both hounds and their humans strut their stuff. Paw Parade participants will also enjoy a dedicated trick-or-treat trail, along with competitions, prizes, live entertainment and a pet market popping up along Rouse Street. Entry to the parade costs $10 per pooch (buy online), with all fees going straight to support Guide Dogs Victoria.
A selection of critically acclaimed artists will work their craft on the silver screen, as part of the ART+FILM program at ACMI. Once a month, the Fed Square venue will screen a different single channel artwork, each of which pushes the boundaries of traditional filmmaking techniques. Good luck finding any of these on Netflix. The first in the series is set for Tuesday, March 22. Directed by Chen Chieh-jen, Factory is a 30-minute silent film that examines industrial decay in the artist's native Taiwan. The screening at ACMI will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker. The program continues on Tuesday, April 26 with Stretching Time, comprised of two high-def video works by New Zealand artist Steven Carr. The screening will coincide with the opening of Carr's solo exhibition at the Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne. Then on Monday, May 23, ACMI will screen highlights from 24 Frames per Second, a major moving-image installation originally presented at Carriageworks in Sydney last year. That screening will be followed by a Q&A with artist Nat Cursio and Carriageworks curator Nina Miall. The screenings are free, but bookings are recommended.
While the country is in lockdown, there are still animals that need caring for. RSPCA NSW currently has more than 2000 dogs, cats, chickens, guinea pigs and even goats that it's feeding, playing with and providing medical care for. And to help raise funds for these animals in need, it's hosting a trivia night fundraiser — virtually, of course. Running from 7.30–8.30pm on Thursday, May 21, the fundraiser will feature 50 questions covering topics such as creates of the deep blue, animals in the spotlight and insects and reptiles, as well as some general knowledge. It'll set you back just $10 to partake, which all goes straight to looking after the furry (or not-so-furry) boys and girls. If your life is missing a furry friends — and you're ready to make a lifelong commitment, of course — RSPCA centres across the country are still open for adoptions. The process now, though, is mostly online. The charity is also looking for foster parents, if you're able to have a temporary friend in your home.
You probably don't need an excuse to take a summer road trip, so instead let's call this a little added incentive. From December 16 to January 29, the team from Burn City Smokers are hosting a BBQ Beach Boutique on the Mornington Peninsula. Grab your car keys — and maybe a bib too. Setting up shop in Counting House restaurant smack bang on the Mornington Esplanade, the pop-up kitchen will operate from 7.30am each day. Kick things off with toasties and soothing Bloody Marys before returning later in the day once they crack open the smoker. Think beef short rib, brisket burgers, mac 'n' cheese and corn on the cob. They'll also by serving liquid refreshment, courtesy of local labels like Mornington Bewery, Quealy Wines and Port Phillip Estate. If you want to make a weekend of it, check out our Weekender's Guide to the Mornington Peninsula.
'Fear less, live more' is the motto of this death-themed arts festival, which encourages participants to embrace life. Born in Sydney in 2017, We're All Going To Die will showcase in Melbourne for the first time this year — taking over St Kilda's masterfully revamped Espy for three nights from Tuesday, March 26–Thursday, March 28. Founded by artist and director Stefan Hunt, the festival spawned from his poem, illustrated adult book and film by the same name. For the mini-fest, Hunt brings together artists, performers, psychologists and other creative communities in an empowering and interactive program that explores our notions of death and life. The mini-festival kicks off at 6.30pm and tickets will set you back $45 a pop. Those dollars will get you access to a whole range of interactive experiences, including judgement-free bedroom dancing with Groove Therapy, death meditation run by Sydney's Indigo Project (with psychologist Mary Hoang and musician Phondup), life drawing classes and live art installations. Plus nightly screenings of Hunt's film We're All Going To Die, which examines fear of death and the meaning of life. We're All Going To Die kicks off at 6.30pm each night.
A staple of Melbourne's cultural calendar for 80 years and counting, the Sidney Myer Free Concerts are back for another year. Held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the latest of this longstanding favourite will, as always, feature a trio of 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 damn good reason these concerts have become a summertime tradition. The first concert will take place on Wednesday, February 17, with US conductor Joshua Weilerstein leading the orchestra in performances of John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine, George Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F, and Antonin Dvorák's Symphony No. 7. On Saturday, February 20 Melburnians can begin their White Night early, with Dvorák's Carnival, Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5. Finally on Saturday, February 27, the MSO will perform a Latin-inspired medley, featuring tangos by Astor Piazzolla and works by Gershwin, Falla and Ginastera.
Parisian label Kitsune is coming back to hang. As cool and sharp as a post-toothpaste drink of lemonade, the record and fashion label know what's up well before it's up. Specialising in eclectic electronic and minimalist dance music as clean and tailored as a French cuff, the label have been taking their Kitsune Club Nights worldwide to dance lovers in Tokyo, Berlin and London. The crew cranked some serious parties in Australia last year, with the likes of Jerry Bouthier, Clubfeet, RUFUS and Softwar. Returning for the second edition this May, Kitsune are heading back to Australia to throw down a whole lot of excellent beats, fronted by one of their favourite dudes, Pyramid. One heck of a laptop wizard, the French producer won his way into Kitsune hearts and compilations after winning a remix contest. The 22-year-old DJ will be promoting his new EP, The Phoenix, out now through the label itself. He'll be joined by Aussie electronic alt-popster Chela, who linked arms with Melbourne outfit Clubfeet for the Kitsune club series last year. There'll be five stops on the Kitsune Australian tour, creating a ruckus in Fitzroy's Laundry Bar, Fortitude Valley's Chinese Whispers, The Bakery in Northbridge and Sydney's Civic Underground before heading on to Warehouse 82 in Seminyak, Bali. So if you're fan of disjointed nu-disco (which, everybody clearly is), get amongst it in May. Tour dates: Fri 9 May - Laundry Bar, Fitzroy Sat 10 May - Chinese Whispers, Fortitude Valley Fri 16 May - The Bakery, Northbridge Sat 17 May - Civic Underground, Sydney Image by BAM.
As part of Melbourne's most fabulous week of drinking, World Class Cocktail Week, there's a special event going for those keen on great scotch and equally brilliant food. Saint Crispin's Joe Grbac and Thomas Olive's Alan Mulvihill will join forces to create an evening fit for King Neptune himself — if he could drink Talisker, of course. The Old Scotch and the Sea, a playful take on a famous Hemmingway title, is far more harmonious than the novel in its pairing of delicious scotch and sweet and juicy seafood. Grbac and Mulvihill will be serving up four courses, including dishes such as Marron tail, chicken liver parfait, fricassee of pine mushrooms, buttered hand-rolled macaroni and sesame seed crumble. If that’s not enough to make your mouth water, the menu is designed to pair perfectly with the Isle of Skye-born Talisker Storm Scotch Whisky. Sounds like the perfect storm to us.
For playing Princess Diana in Spencer, Kristen Stewart earned an Oscar nomination. For doing the same in Diana the Musical, Jeanna de Waal just won a Golden Raspberry Award. Given out the day before the Academy Awards and rewarding the worst in cinema for the past year — rather than the best and brightest like their counterparts — the Razzies have named their picks from 2021's flicks. And yes, singing through the life of Princess Di wasn't considered movie magic. A filmed version of the stage production, Diana the Musical earned five awards in total — after leading the nominations with nine. The Golden Raspberries also considered it the Worst Picture of the year, and gave it the Worst Director, Worst Supporting Actress and Worst Screenplay prizes as well. If you haven't seen it yet, you might to stick with The Crown. Also winning big: needless Space Jam sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy, which picked up three awards from four nominations. It received the Worst Actor prize for LeBron James, as well as the Worst Remake, Ripoff or Sequel award, plus Worst Screen Couple. With those two movies scoring eight awards between them, there wasn't much room for many other winners at the 42nd Razzies (although, are Razzie recipients really considered winners?). But Jared Leto's awful efforts in House of Gucci still scored him the Worst Supporting Actor prize, even over Diana the Musical's Gareth Keegan. One person who was always going to end with a Razzie to his name this year was Bruce Willis. The awards even created their own category for him — because he released eight flicks last year, and all of them were terrible. Wondering which one was deemed the worst of the lot? That'd be Cosmic Sin, which saw Willis pick up the accolade for Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 Movie. Ahead of likely winning an Oscar today, Will Smith also earned some love from the Razzies as well. The former Fresh Prince received the only Golden Raspberry anyone ever wants to get, though: the Razzie Redeemer, for actors who've come back from a spate of Razzie-worthy roles. Smith's win came for King Richard, the part he's expected to get that Academy Award for. Check out the full list of nominees and winners below: GOLDEN RASPBERRY NOMINEES AND WINNERS 2022: WORST PICTURE Diana the Musical — WINNER Infinite Karen Space Jam: A New Legacy The Woman in the Window WORST ACTOR Scott Eastwood, Dangerous Roe Hartrampf (as Prince Charles), Diana the Musical LeBron James, Space Jam: A New Legacy — WINNER Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen Mark Wahlberg, Infinite WORST ACTRESS Amy Adams, The Woman in the Window Jeanna de Waal, Diana the Musical — WINNER Megan Fox, Midnight in the Switchgrass Taryn Manning, Karen Ruby Rose, Vanquish WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR Ben Affleck, The Last Duel Nick Cannon, The Misfits Mel Gibson, Dangerous Gareth Keegan (as James Hewitt, the muscle-bound horse trainer), Diana the Musical Jared Leto, House of Gucci — WINNER WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Amy Adams, Dear Evan Hansen Sophie Cookson, Infinite Erin Davie (as Camilla), Diana the Musical Judy Kaye (as both Queen Elizabeth and Barbara Cartland), Diana the Musical — WINNER Taryn Manning, Every Last One of Them WORST PERFORMANCE BY BRUCE WILLIS IN A 2021 MOVIE Bruce Willis, American Siege Bruce Willis, Apex Bruce Willis, Cosmic Sin — WINNER Bruce Willis, Deadlock Bruce Willis, Fortress Bruce Willis, Midnight in the Switchgrass Bruce Willis, Out of Death Bruce Willis, Survive the Game WORST SCREEN COMBO Any klutzy cast member and any lamely lyricised (or choreographed) musical number, Diana the Musical LeBron James and any Warner cartoon character (or Time-Warner product) he dribbles on, Space Jam: A New Legacy — WINNER Jared Leto and either his 17-pound latex face, his geeky clothes or his ridiculous accent, House of Gucci Ben Platt and any other character who acts like Platt singing 24-7 is normal, Dear Evan Hansen Tom and Jerry (aka Itchy and Scratchy), Tom & Jerry WORST DIRECTOR Christopher Ashley, Diana the Musical — WINNER Stephen Chbosky, Dear Evan Hansen Coke Daniels, Karen Renny Harlin, The Misfits Joe Wright, The Woman in the Window WORST REMAKE, RIPOFF or SEQUEL Karen (inadvertent remake of Cruella deVil) Space Jam: A New Legacy — WINNER Tom and Jerry Twist (rap remake of Oliver Twist) The Woman in the Window (ripoff of Rear Window) WORST SCREENPLAY Diana the Musical, script by Joe DiPietro, music and lyrics by DiPietro and David Bryan — WINNER Karen, written by Coke Daniels The Misfits, screenplay by Kurt Wimmer and Robert Henny, screen story by Robert Henny Twist, written by John Wrathall and Sally Collett, additional material by Matthew Parkhill, Michael Lindley, Tom Grass and Kevin Lehane, from an "original idea" by David and Keith Lynch and Simon Thomas The Woman in the Window, screenplay by Tracy Letts, from the novel by AJ Finn RAZZIE REDEEMER Will Smith for King Richard
Complimentary cocktails and free express manicures are some of the goodies Melburnians can look forward to over the next month as part of the City of Melbourne's new FOMO Fridays initiative. Initially proposed in March earlier this year, FOMO Fridays is a joint effort by the Victorian Government, the Property Council of Australia and the Australian Retailers Association which aims to encourage CBD workers to rediscover the city's latest and greatest. Each Friday from May 14 to June 4, locals can take advantage of a swag of giveaways and special offers from a stacked lineup of Melbourne bars, restaurants, retailers and shopping precincts. You might fancy getting your pre-weekend glam on at Myer Melbourne, with free express manicures at the Express Yourself mani bar and a couple of complimentary cupcakes to match. Or, swing past the QV centre for a free cosmic reading and some uplifting affirmations. If you're shopping up a storm at The Strand or GPO, you're in for some free bubbly, as well as the chance to score $500 off your evening's retail haul — $10,000 worth of shopping tabs are being covered randomly each week. Down in Collins Square, the FOMO Fridays fun kicks off early from 10am, with coffee experiences, food tastings, trivia, cocktail-making workshops and a lucky spin wheel filled with instant prizes — perfect for a Friday lunchtime visit. Riverside Quay will also be firing right throughout the day, with roving performers, holiday giveaways and dining specials ranging from Ludlow Bar & Dining Room's $10 boozy hot chocolates and two-for-one sangria at Asado (4pm–6pm). Plenty more exclusive food and drink offers await at favourites like Lui Bar, Arbory, Heroes, Pinchy's, Spice Market, Bar Lourinha, Storyville, Good Heavens and The Boatbuilders Yard — including two-for-one bottles of wine, half-price mezze platters and cheap cocktails. [caption id="attachment_810297" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ludlow Bar & Dining[/caption] If your interests lie elsewhere, you might fancy deals like the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel's discounted sparkling wine flights, Kino Cinema's two-for-one movie tickets, or Bodhi and Ride's specially priced twilight spin classes. Or, the many Friday discounts up for grabs at retailers like Muji, Nique, Elk and H&M. For a real treat, you can even book yourself a staycation at one of Melbourne's most luxurious hotels and score an extra night. Free doughnuts, dinners, drink giveaways and pre-loaded Myki cards are also up for grabs at various locations and times around the city, though you'll need to keep an eye on the What's On Melbourne Instagram page for all the details. FOMO Fridays will feature activations and special offers at venues across the city, on May 14, 21 and 28, and June 4. For the full list of offerings and to plan your nights, see the website. Images: Heroes, Pinchy's, Good Heavens and Storyville.
If you weren't in Federation Square for Australia's 1–0 World Cup defeat of Denmark, then you've seen the footage, with Melbourne's massive central space teeming with thousands of soccer fans. For the Socceroos' next game, with the squad advancing to the Round of 16, the Victorian Government has realised that even more folks will want to head out for the match. Accordingly, Premier Daniel Andrews has announced that the game will also screen in two other big public spots. If you can't make it to Fed Square, make a date with either AAMI Park and Victoria Golf Club, with the match set to grace screens in both spaces. The game kicks off at 6am AEDT on Sunday, December 4, which clearly makes it perfect for catching at home from the comfort of your own couch; however, if you're keen to watch the must-win showdown alongside your fellow Melburnians, you now have a few options. I reckon we might need a bit more space than just Fed Square to watch the @Socceroos take on Argentina. So we're going to open up AAMI Park and put the game on the big screens. And it'll be completely free. pic.twitter.com/SSflcdQy60 — Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) December 3, 2022 Entry to AAMI Park will be completely free, with gates opening at 5am and attendees able to sit in the stadium's grandstand seats to watch. Over at Victoria Golf Club in Cheltenham, the doors will open at 5.30am, with the World Cup match playing on the site's village big screen. Entry will only be free for the first 500 people through the gate, though, and cost $33 for adults after that — but tickets include staying all day, with the Australian Open golf tournament also on at venue. Fed Square is still a viewing option, of course. Also, elsewhere in the city, Victoria's landmark buildings will be lit up in green and gold from 8pm on Saturday through till dawn on Sunday to mark the game. [caption id="attachment_819702" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gary Houston, Wikimedia Commons[/caption] "This Sunday will see thousands of football fans again descend on Melbourne's CBD, so we're making more live sites available for football fans to watch the Socceroos' historic World Cup match against Argentina," said the Premier in a statement. "This is Australia's best-ever World Cup performance, and we're making sure as many people as possible can enjoy the action and cheer on our side as it takes the field in Qatar." "I encourage football fans to come down, soak the atmosphere and cheer on the Socceroos in a safe and respectful manner at the live sites." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Socceroos (@socceroos) Whether or not you usually have even a passing interest in soccer, you'll appreciate the sense of occasion. By emerging victorious over Denmark, the 2022 Socceroos are the most successful FIFA World Cup team to ever come out of this country, with two wins in the group stage. The team's move to the Round of 16 is just the second time ever Australia has managed that feat, after doing the same in 2006. And, if it beats heavyweights Argentina, it'll be the first time ever that the Socceroos have made the quarter finals. Australia take on Argentina at 6am AEDT on Sunday, December 4, with the match playing on the big screen at Federation Square, AAMI Park and Victoria Golf Club. For more information about the 2022 FIFA World Cup, head the tournament's website. For further details about the live sites at AAMI Park and Victoria Golf Club, check out the Victorian Government's website. Top image: Doozeydouche via Wikimedia Commons.
Hold your boots up high as Golden Plains festival celebrates its ten year anniversary. Returning once more to the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre on Labour Day long weekend, this beloved festival will welcome a plethora of local and international music acts for three straight days of good music and good times. Performers tapped for this year's festival include Emma Donovan & The Putbacks, Black Cab, Sleater-Kinney, Violent Femmes, Gold Class, Natalie Prass, Songhoy Blues, Seun Kuti, The Necks, Sampa The Great and local legends Eddy Current Suppression Ring, who'll break a six year hiatus for a one night only performance on the Sunday night. You can find the complete lineup and set times for the festival, which kicks off on Saturday, March 12, by following this link right here.
If you spend your free time binging on true crime, then you would've watched I'll Be Gone in the Dark last year. The HBO docuseries honed in on the Golden State Killer, who terrorised California between 1974–1986, committing more than 100 burglaries, over 50 home-invasion rapes and at least 12 murders. More than that, the show explored the case through writer Michelle McNamara, who had been kept wondering about the culprit over the years and decades — because, astonishingly, no one was sentenced for the Golden State Killer's crime spree until August 2020. McNamara's own tale is filled with intrigue, too, which the series also explored. She'd spend her nights spent sleuthing through unsolved crimes and penning the blog True Crime Diaries while her family slept. Fixating on the Golden State Killer actually led McNamara to writing an article for Los Angeles Magazine, plus a book deal. But before she could finish her manuscript, McNamara — who was also married to comedian Patton Oswalt — died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in her sleep. Her book I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer was published two years after her death, and before an arrest was made in the case, with the six-part HBO series stepping through this whole scenario. I'll Be Gone in the Dark's central figure was interested in other cold cases, too — and, because seemingly everything can return these days (and not just beloved sitcoms), the show is now coming back for a special follow-up episode to delve further into her obsessions. Viewers can expect to hear more about McNamara's work on cold cases in general, and to dive into one that affected her deeply: the rape and murder of Kathy Lombardo back in 1984, which happened in McNamara's hometown of Oak Park, Illinois. Once again, McNamara's own archival research and voice recordings will play a big part. The one-hour special episode will also feature interviews with residents of present-day Oak Park, all as part of a broader musing on how unsolved crimes cause their own traumas. In Australia, it'll be available to watch on streaming service Binge on Tuesday, June 22 — in line with when it airs in the US on HBO. Check out the trailer below: I'll Be Gone in the Dark's special follow-up special will be available to stream via Binge on Tuesday, June 22. Top image:HBO.
When the only and only Martin Scorsese turns 80, which he does on Thursday, November 17, every movie buff needs to celebrate. The iconic filmmaker's contribution to the medium he adores is epic, including help reinvent gangster flicks, thrusting Robert De Niro to fame, and never being afraid of taking risks — and cinema forever changed via his contributions. It should come as no surprise that The Astor Theatre is marking the occasion. So is the fellow Palace Cinemas site at Pentridge, but The Astor is going all out for a month. Expect all of Scorsese's hits, plus rarely screened titles and select sessions on glorious 35mm. If you're a fan, expect to spend a lot of time at the St Kilda spot. It all starts on Thursday, November 17, fittingly, with multiple sessions of music documentary The Last Waltz on 4K, but that genuinely is just the beginning. From there, Happy Birthday Marty: Celebrating 80 Years of Mr Martin Scorsese includes early titles like Boxcar Bertha and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, the attention-grabbing Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, and even musical New York, New York and the family-friendly Hugo. Screening until Sunday, December 18 — and ending with The Last Temptation of Christ just a week before Christmas — the season includes plenty of RDN, naturally, including the Joker-influencing The King of Comedy, Raging Bull, Cape Fear, Goodfellas and Casino. Leonardo DiCaprio pops up in Gangs of New York, The Departed, The Aviator, Shutter Island and The Wolf of Wall Street, of course — and don't miss the chance to see 80s comedy After Hours, period drama The Age of Innocence and the sublime Nicolas Cage-starring Bringing Out the Dead on the big screen either.
When Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead hits cinemas this Friday (and only this Friday), do yourself a favour and remain indoors. The feature film debut of the Sydney-born Roache-Turner brothers, this is a gruesome zombie apocalypse movie with a grungy, DIY aesthetic — the duo spent three-and-half-years on the project, and their hard work and enthusiasm can be felt in every frame. But enthusiasm alone doesn’t excuse derivative storytelling. Nor does it make the film’s casual racism and leering misogyny any less unpleasant to watch. The movie begins — as such movies tend to do — with the downfall of civilisation. Specifically, a meteor shower, which for some unknown (possibly biblical) reason turns a majority of the population into zombies. It’s especially bad news for blokey auto mechanic Barry (Jay Gallagher), who’s forced to execute his wife and daughter before they make him a meal. Armed to the teeth — and with a homemade armoured vehicle to match — Barry and a group of survivors make their way down the outback highway, in an attempt to rescue his sister Brooke (Bianca Bradey) from a similarly grizzly fate. Wyrmwood is being sold as a cross between Mad Max and Dawn of the Dead. It should probably go without saying that it doesn’t hold a candle to either. This is bargain-bin horror filmmaking, and although the brothers endeavour to throw in a few new twists on the zombie genre, ultimately the formula remains the same. It’s a movie more focused on interesting kills than interesting characters; Barry has less personality than a reanimated corpse, while his sidekick Benny (Leon Burchill) is a cartoonish collection of belittling Aboriginal stereotypes. Even more distasteful is Wyrmwood’s handling of its only significant female character. While Barry and Benny slice their way through the zombie hordes, the scantily clad Brooke finds herself chained up in a laboratory, at the mercy of a syringe-wielding mad scientist. Dull and repetitive, the subplot serves zero purpose in the film, other than to give pervy male audience members ample opportunity to star down Bradey’s top. This kind of sexism is all too common in the low-fi horror world, and frankly, it needs to be stamped out. Technical specs are solid, particularly given the film’s presumably minuscule shooting budget. The camerawork recalls the madcap energy of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead film, although with next to none of that series’ ingenuity or humour. Credit also to the effects and makeup teams for credibly bringing the film's monsters to (un)life. Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead will have its Australian premiere at Moonlight Cinemas around the country on Friday, February 6. These screenings will be followed by a one-day theatrical engagement on Friday, Feburary 13.
UPDATE: FEBRUARY 10, 2020 — Due to popular demand, The Fork Festival has extended for three weeks, which means you have until Saturday, February 29 to snag a tidy 50 percent off your total food bill. It also means this deal is sticking around for Valentine's Day — you know what to do. When Christmas and New Year are over, the temptation to hibernate grows pretty strong — so, you're probably going to need a little something extra to tempt you off the couch. Handily, online reservation platform The Fork has a winning idea up its sleeve: it's offering a huge eight weeks of dining specials nationwide. Kicking off on Monday, January 6, the second ever The Fork Festival will see top restaurants across the country offering sit-down meals for half the usual price. Yep, 50 percent off your total food bill, folks — think of it as the proverbial carrot luring you out of the house. So far, 300 restaurants have signed up, but The Fork is expecting this number to grow. To snag a half-price meal, you just need to make a reservation through The Fork website or app at one of the participating eateries for any service (breakfast, lunch or dinner) during the five weeks. [caption id="attachment_704314" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pretty Boy Italian Steakhouse[/caption] There are some great venues coming to the party, too. Melbourne venues include Tulum Restaurant, Mukka, Souk, White Oaks Saloon, Pascale Bar & Grill and Casa Nom Bar y Restaurante, Din Tai Fung and Pretty Boy Italian Steakhouse. You might want to revisit an old favourite or you could get a little adventurous and road-test somewhere new. Either way, there's ample time to squeeze in a fair few discount feasts before the festival wraps up on February 29. You can check out the full list of participating restaurants on the website. Top image: Casa Nom by Griffin Simm.
Loaded with breaded pork jowl, chicken jus and green mustard leaf mayo, the legendary pig's head sanga from Collingwood's Congress is far from vegan. But that's not stopping the team from joining forces with the famed purveyors of plant-based goodness at Smith & Daughters for a special collaboration event. Taking over the Peel Street wine bar from 12pm this Saturday, October 10, the pop-up will showcase an unexpected new creation — Smith & Daughters' own vegan reimagining of the much-loved pork sandwich. They've recreated the flavours using pickled fennel, some salsa verde and that all-important fluffy white bread, and they'll be slinging their edition for $12 a pop. On the day, you'll also be able to buy Congress's original sanga ($10), as well as the venue's signature dutch spice cake ($8), Peroni Red beers ($5) and yuzu spritzes ($10). The lineup's sure to be popular, but you can pre-order from the Congress website this week to avoid missing out. Before you head out, you can check that the wine bar is in your five-kilometre bubble using this handy app. Congress x Smith & Daughters pop-up runs from 12–4pm.
It's been three and a half years since Lûmé first crashed into our food scene, with head chef and co-owner Shaun Quade's wildly inventive fare quickly making a name for the South Melbourne fine diner. Now, as Quade gears up to kick-start his next culinary venture, he's given the whole place a spruce-up and handed over the all-important kitchen reins to mentee and celebrated young gun John Rivera. He recently won the San Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year, as well as the Gault & Millau Young Talent of the Year in 2017. The first thing he's done is make the menu smaller; Lûmé's signature $210 14-course degustation has been replaced with the option of three slightly more approachable offerings: three courses for $100, five courses for $140 and seven courses for $170). To that end, you can expect an all-new menu, delivering Rivera's interpretation of modern Australian fare — but still with that Lûmé edge. Dive into thoughtful and unexpected creations like the calamari matched to coconut, cucumber and chrysanthemum; melaleuca-smoked duck with leatherwood honey and cherries; and shiitakes with oyster and charred kombu. [caption id="attachment_705023" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The 'snacks' at Lûmé.[/caption] Each menu comes with four clever snacks that promise to be just as good as the main event. Onion doughnuts come with fresh sea succulents, dainty smoked tomato tarts feature burnt barley and "salted egg", while black banana makes an appearance as an unlikely glaze for the barbecue pork bites. Lûmé's penchant for great wine holds strong, the list championing big names alongside new and interesting drops. If you've got extra cash to splash, opt for one of the expert beverage pairings ($60–130) to see the team's booze prowess at its best. One to add to your must-visit restaurants of 2019 list. Find the new-era Lûmé at 226 Coventry Street, South Melbourne. Food images: Shaun Quade.
Slip into the shadows and embrace the dark side, when Melbourne Museum launches its new immersive digital exhibition, Tyama: A Deeper Sense of Knowing. Taking its name from the Keerray Woorroong language verb 'to know', it's a captivating glimpse into First Peoples practices of embodied learning, storytelling and connection to nature. Launching Friday, July 22, the exhibition invites you to explore Victoria's vibrant nocturnal world via large-scale projections, soundscapes, striking imagery and a collection of artefacts. Interactive technology is fused with powerful storytelling to capture and unpack ideas around our connection to the natural world. Created in conjunction with Keerray Woorroong citizens Yoolongteeyt Dr Vicki Couzens and Yaraan Bundle, Tyama aims to immerse and transport you as you wander through its spaces, activating swirling dreamtime lightscapes, flitting amongst blooming nocturnal flowers and using sound to 'see' like a bat. You'll switch perspectives with flora and fauna, and gain new insight into our extraordinary world. Images: Eugene Hyland
You should cut down on your porklife and get to the Palais Theatre this summer, Damon Albarn is coming to Melbourne. Celebrating the recent release of his critically-acclaimed first solo venture Everyday Roots, the legendary Blur frontman will bring early Christmas presents to Melburnians with an intimate performance on Friday, December 12. Alongside his Blur/Gorillaz escapades, the 46-year-old has casually worked with Everyone Ever — including the late Bobby Womack, buds Brian Eno, Natasha Khan (Bat For Lashes), Paul Simonon (The Clash), master drummer Tony Allen, Snoop Dogg and Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers). For his Melbourne show he'll be joined onstage with his shiny new live crew, The Heavy Seas, plus a cheeky string quartet and onstage choir. Epic. While the setlist will undoubtedly focus on Albarn's solo material, fingers are crossed for a Boys and Girls Easter Egg or two. Damon Albarn will play the Palais Theatre at 7:30pm, Friday 12 December. Tickets available from Ticketmaster. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ODG3VRkncBc
Aussie truffle season is here for a good time, not a long time, so you want to really squeeze the most out of it. And from Friday, August 12 to Sunday, August 14, that means heading out to Spotswood to feast your way through Grazeland's inaugural Truffle Festival. The huge food precinct is plating up a decadent weekend of funghi appreciation with a bunch of vendors whipping up limited-edition truffle dishes just for the occasion. As always, it's a globe-trotting lineup — think shaved truffle sprinkled atop hot chip cones and inside toasties from Fat Tonys, Lucky Little Dumpling's black truffle xiao long bao, truffled raclette courtesy of Frencheese, and truffle cheese bratwurst rolls from Bratboy. 48H Pizza will be doing a sausage, truffle and wild mushroom number, while Claw & Tail gives seared scallops the truffle butter treatment. Even dessert is a truffled affair, with the likes of Doughville's dreamy custard-filled croissant collaboration with Pierrick Boyer; and ricotta cannoli stuffed with black truffle and dark chocolate chip from Cannoleria. Meanwhile, both of Grazeland's stages will be dishing up the live tunes across the weekend and you'll find a huge array of sips pouring at its many pop-up bars. [caption id="attachment_856787" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Frencheese[/caption] The Truffle Festival will run over the weekend of August 12 to August 14 at 5–10pm Friday, 12–10pm Saturday and 12–9pm Sunday. Top Image: I In The Sky Productions
This weekend, Victoria's National Trust will let you into its covetable closet when it opens the doors to the tenth iteration of Melbourne's "biggest and most authentic" vintage and designer clothing sale. You'll be able to get a feel of a Armani coat and fight over Valentino as a cavalcade of items take pride of place in South Yarra's 1800s-built Como House on Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22. The pieces on offer will run from the affordable right up to the super expensive, but all will be going at a reduced price. Given some of the brands on offer — including Alexander McQueen, Armani, Valentino, Max Mara and Missoni — you'll be able to pick up some bargains, or opt for a few investment pieces. Covering fashion from late 1800s onwards (yes, there'll be 100-year-old fashion on offer), the range will focus on handbags, scarves, jewellery, hats, belts and ready-to-wear clothing. Keep an eye on National Trust's Instagram to see more sale items, which'll be posted in the lead-up. Entry to the massive sale is $2, with all proceeds going towards Como House conservation projects. We also suggest getting there early to snag the good stuff. Vintage Clothing Sale at Como runs from 10.30am–4pm, with National Trust Members allowed in from 10am. Top image: Como House by Letícia Almeida
If come January you find yourself stuck in the city battling the inevitable post-holiday blues, consider Sunset Sounds one of your summertime saviours. Launching its sixth season, the free concert series will once again feature a program of gigs hosted at parks across the Stonnington area throughout the month. Returning for three Sunday sessions from January 5, Sunset Sounds is set to dish up a cracking mix of up-and-coming homegrown musical talent, best enjoyed from the comfort of your picnic blanket. Prahran's Victoria Gardens helps to kick-start the 2020 season in style, with hip hop group Billy Davis & The Good Lords supported by jazz singer Tanya George. Genre-blending band The Northern Folk headline the January 12 edition, gracing Central Park in Malvern East with help from Rach Brennan & The Pines. And the fun wraps up on January 19 at Malvern Gardens, as soulful guitarist Laneous takes to the stage, followed by Indigenous singer Emma Donovan. Each concert runs from 5-8pm, with a lineup of food trucks on hand serving cheese platters, gelato, fish and chips, and more — just in case you forget your picnic basket — to back the openair tunes and barefoot dance moves.
The 90s are the decade that keeps on giving — to nostalgic Australians, at least. On any given weekend under regular circumstances, you can usually find a party dedicated to kicking it old school-style. And, at the moment, you can still get retro with Isolation Trivia's 90s Music Trivia edition. Know everything there is to know about the Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, grunge, 'Gangsta's Paradise' and chasing waterfalls? Then, come 6.25pm on Thursday, June 4, it's time to put your 90s-loving brain to the test. The Isolation Trivia folks will be asking the questions, your lounge room will be doing the hosting and you'll be slinging back your answers — if you wannabe the trivia champ, that is. No bookings or registrations are required — all you need to do it hit up the event Facebook page when it's time to strut your stuff. Our tip: prepare to channel Alanis when your competition gets something wrong — aka to have 'You Oughta Know' stuck in your head. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPcyTyilmYY
Erica Rasmussen’s latest work, Silhouettes, Inside Outside, sits right at the intersection of music, art and performance. A multidisciplinary, multi-sensory, performance art piece this work features classical musicians Andrea Keeble and Elisse Kleiner, visual artists Sam Haycroft and Natalya Garden-Thompson, and most importantly, you. Essentially, as the musicians perform, the visual artists will capture their silhouettes by drawing their outlines on canvases placed behind them. Now here’s where you come in: audience members will then add colour to these silhouettes as interpretations of the music. Don't worry if you're a little shy. Silhouettes, Inside Outside is as interactive as you make it. You’re welcome to sit there and take it all in or jump up and grab a brush when the mood strikes you. Heads up for those attending, don't wear your favourite frock to this event. Bring an old shirt to throw over the top and let your creativity run wild.
Aphids are at it again. Following on from such outlandish projects as the champagne-fuelled live cinema experience Thrashing Without Looking as well as the first ever Australian performance to be broadcast into outer space, the latest genre-hopping work from the St Kilda-based arts and performance collective celebrates one of Australia’s most iconic songs. Which one? You’ll have to figure that out for yourself. Described as a mix between a theatre restaurant, a rave and a game of 20 questions, A Singular Phenomenon will explore our fascination with pop culture and the evolution of cultural stereotypes, while chronicling the inner life of an iconic '80s hit "that refuses to go away". Could it be Farnham? Kylie? Whatever the answer, expect plenty of guilty pleasure music and audience interaction. A Singular Phenomenon runs May 21 – 23 at the Malthouse Theatre. For more information, go here.
There's really no need to even convince you of this one. From 10am until 4pm on Saturday, August 30, beloved speciality grocers Aunt Maggie's will host an event for the ages in their Sydney Road store. Bringing together an amazing crew of established cocoa artisans, Brunswick Chocolate Festival is your number one destination for all things sweet this weekend. And the best thing about it? They offer free samples. With an emphasis on local, organic, and fair trade ingredients, Aunt Maggie's are uniting chocolate makers from all over Melbourne and beyond. Bearing the delicious fruits of their labour, folks from Conscious Chocolates, Pana Chocolate, Green & Black's, Wholly Cacao and more will all be in attendance. But this isn't just an opportunity to stuff your face with heavenly mousse and ganache. Each chocolate expert will also be there to talk you through the finer details of their craft. It's the perfect opportunity to grab some DIY tips while sipping on one of the most mind-blowing hot chocolates of your life.
Finding a designated driver on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve is not an easy feat — nan is stuck into the boozy pud, dad has pulled a dusty one out of the cellar and you don't really want to carpool with that weird uncle. And no one's putting their hand up to find a park near the fireworks on December 31. Public Transport Victoria understands, and is easing the pain of commuting on the two big days (slightly) by offering all public transport for free. Over Christmas Day, all trains, trams, buses and V/line services will be free from 3am on Wednesday, December 25, till 3am on Thursday, December 26. Most public transport services will be running to a Sunday timetable, and there will be limited V/Line coaches and trains to regional cities (it recommended that you book spots for these). There will, however, be no night buses, trams, trains, so if you do spend too much time sipping sherry with your aunt, you might have to try your luck with a taxi or Uber. A few days later, over New Year's Eve, the same public transport services will be free from 6pm on Tuesday, December 31 until 6am on Wednesday, January 1. As there will most likely be hordes of people flocking to get home after the fireworks, metro trains will be running every ten minutes from midnight till 2.30am, extra V/Line services, trams running every five-to-ten minutes until 2am and the 426, 905, 906, 907 and 908 buses will be extended until 1.50am. You can check out a comprehensive rundown of New Year's Eve services at the Public Transport Victoria website. If you do want to check out the midnight fireworks, they'll be four spots to catch them: Docklands, Flagstaff Gardens, Treasury Gardens and Kings Domain. The City of Melbourne has created this handy map pinpointing the closest train stations, too: On both days, you won't need to touch on (or be carrying) your Myki — but, if you do, you won't be charged. Find more information on the free travel periods here and check for updates on the PTV website. Image: Josie Withers/Visit Victoria.
Other than Christmas Day's requisite feast, no one likes cooking at the end of the year. If you're not so fond of getting in the kitchen on December 25, that's okay, too. So, as 2020 dwindles to a close, takeaway is firmly on the menu. And if you're keen to both support local eateries and keep an eye on your bank balance, Deliveroo has announced a handy special for the festive season. From Monday, December 21–Sunday, December 27, the delivery service is offering Australians free delivery from a sizeable range of local restaurants. In total across the country, more than 130 eateries and restaurants are on the list — including Gelato Messina, Mary's and Royal Stacks. With Sydney's northern beaches area currently experiencing a COVID-19 cluster — and subject to stay-at-home public health orders from 5pm, Saturday, December 19 until midnight on Wednesday — Deliveroo is also kicking things off early in the region. Free delivery is already available in the area, including from I Love Pizza, BenBry Burgers, Banana Blossom, DeVita: Tastes of Napoli, Chat Thai in Manly and Little L in Mona Vale. To ensure that all of the eateries involved aren't missing out on revenue or left out of pocket, Deliveroo is footing the bill for the free delivery — in terms of the delivery fees, that is. Obviously, you'll still need to pay for whatever you'd like to eat; however, you won't have to fork out more on top to get it brought to your door. If you're in Sydney's northern beaches and you're suddenly hungry, or you're in the rest of the country and you're thinking ahead, orders need to be placed via the Deliveroo app. Deliveroo's free delivery is on offer from Saturday, December 19–Sunday, December 27 in Sydney's northern beaches area — and from Monday, December 21–Sunday, December 27 across the rest of the country — via the Deliveroo app.
