You can't venture more than five kilometres from home right now, but you can get a taste of the Mornington Peninsula delivered to your door, courtesy of the celebrated Pt Leo Estate. Home to multiple renowned restaurants, the award-winning winery is offering an at-home dining experience for click-and-collect and delivery this week. Curated by new culinary director Josep Espuga, the lockdown-friendly offering is available daily throughout lockdown. Diners can choose from a multi-course $190 feast dubbed The Pt. Leo Favourites for Two, featuring such favourites as the lobster rotolo and char siu pork belly, alongside your pick of Pt. Leo Estate wine. Fancy add-ons from two-hatted restaurant Laura can be happily arranged. Or, you can have free rein of the a la carte menu, mixing and matching dishes such as the wood-roasted chicken, a hot-smoked barramundi and the decadent Valrhona chocolate mousse. The delivery drivers are servicing all Mornington Peninsula suburbs between Frankston and Portsea for an easy $5 flat-rate fee, while drop-offs to Melbourne and surrounds incur a $15 delivery charge. If the Pt Leo Estate is in your five-kilometre radius, you can also pre-order for collection from the pick-up window. [caption id="attachment_822391" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pt Leo Estate, by Chris McConville[/caption] Images: Chris McConville
Beer and yoga. An unlikely combination, but one that's gone gangbusters across the world. And after a few trials of the concept — including a class at Sydney's Wayward Brewing — Australia looks set to see the trend come out in full force with the launch of BierYoga. Having held weekly sessions across Berlin over the past 12 months, BierYoga has launched an Australian tour with a string of dates for their beer-focused yoga classes in Melbourne and Sydney. Each hour-long session will see punters getting bendy while knocking back brews, with beer-drinking incorporated into each classic yoga pose. Think sun salutations and reverse warriors, interspersed with sips of your favourite ale. BierYoga's team of qualified yoga instructors (and, we're sure, seasoned beer drinkers) will get you loose, limber, and having fun — whether you're a total yoga novice, or a well-practiced pro. Each session's priced at a budget-friendly $10 — just bring a towel or yoga mat and you're good to go. You'll need to buy a beer at the bar separately. Classes are happening over three Wednesday nights on February 8, 15 and 22 at The Village on St Kilda Road.
It's the horror franchise that's become a massive hit, and also sports a clear formula. We're talking about The Conjuring movies, which have become their own cinematic universe over the past eight years, and generally focus on eerie happenings in both ordinary and creepy abodes. If you saw the original 2013 film, its 2016 sequel, the three Annabelle flicks to-date, The Nun or The Curse of the Weeping Woman, then you'll know what we're talking about. Indeed, based on how much cash the combined saga has earned at the box office so far, we're betting you've watched at least one of them. If people keep turning out to see the series' movies en masse, then they'll keep being made, even if some hit the mark and some are terrible. That's how Hollywood works, after all. So, a third Conjuring film is now a thing — becoming the third movie specifically with The Conjuring in its title, and the broader franchise's eighth entry. In The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, however, the saga seems to be trying something a little different. Bumps and jumps still abound, at least based on the just-dropped first trailer, but so does a crime-thriller setup. Here, paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson, The Commuter) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) are called to assist in a murder trial, with the suspect claiming demonic possession as a defense. By now, you should know that the Warrens were real people, and that some of the franchise's movies draw upon cases and incidences they looked into — including this one. When it hits cinemas Down Under on June 3, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It will also feature Ruairi O'Connor (The Spanish Princess), Sarah Catherine Hook (Monsterland) and Julian Hilliard (WandaVision), while The Curse of the Weeping Woman's Michael Chaves is on directing duties. The latter takes over from Australian filmmaker James Wan (Aquaman, Fast & Furious 7), who helmed the first two Conjuring movies, but produces and gets a story credit here. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMZPMMWIWn4 The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It releases in cinemas Down Under on June 3.
Mondays can sometimes be a struggle, but that's not the case when Good Beer Week is in town. Especially when the beer-filled festival sees legendary chef Shane Delia (Maha, Biggie Smalls) team up with local brew stars Brick Lane to extend those weekend vibes with an evening of fire-driven food fun. Taking over the Queen Victoria Market tonight, Monday, May 13, the event features a lavish long table dinner, celebrating top local produce and cooked by Delia over open coals. It's a collaborative affair, too, and stars some truly delicious joint projects. You'll taste a limited-edition fresh-hop Brick Lane beer crafted with Ellerslie Hops, prime cuts of beef fed on the brewery's spent grain and hops and freshly baked Baker Bleu bread made using brewery wort. There'll also be a sorbet crafted from Brick Lane beer, a one-off gin cocktail courtesy of CBD distillery Little Lon, and plenty of opportunity to talk shop with the brewers.
Fans of Instagrammable brunches and all-you-can-eat banquets in Prahran are about to become very happy eaters with the opening of the OTT Grand Lafayette on Clifton Street. The expansive all-day eatery is an Asian-inspired brunch spot by day and an all-you-can-eat Japanese diner by night. It's brought to you by the team behind Port Melbourne's now-closed Café Lafayette, who were known for taking popular brunch dishes to ridiculous levels then topping them off with Asian twists. Existing Lafayette fans will be glad to hear that the signature 'raindrop' cakes ($9) have made their way to Prahran — in matcha, brown sugar, rose and mint flavours. Other brunch menu items include matcha French toast, wasabi scrambled eggs and steamed bao in fried chicken, crispy eggplant, confit pork and beef teriyaki varieties. Legit cuppas by Five Senses are paired with a list of brightly coloured mocktails and cocktails, along with the Freaky Shake — a milkshake which offers toppings like mixed mini cereals, cream cheese and mini waffles. Once the sun starts to set, the 100-seater becomes an all-you-can-eat haven six nights a week, slinging bottomless plates of Japanese food for $32.80 per person. Think karaage chicken, baked scallops and miso-grilled salmon. Plus bao aplenty and the return of the "Freakshii", which is essentially mega-sized platters of colourful sushi. It's a bold move attempting to combine such distinct services, and we're not quite sure how well the two will gel to make one successful restaurant. It's one that will have to be seen — and tasted — to be believe. Grand Lafayette is now open at 9 Clifton Street, Prahran. Opening hours are Monday 8am–3pm, Tuesday–Friday from 8am–3pm and 5.30–9pm, Saturday from 8.30am–3pm and 5.30–10pm, and Sunday from 8.30am–3pm and 5.30–9pm. Images: Griffin Simm
Much has already been made of Peter Jackson's decision to turn the relatively short novel of The Hobbit (relative to, say, anything else by Tolkien or Peter Jackson) into three, three-hour movies. The first instalment of the 'wasn't-a-trilogy-but-now-is-a-trilogy' trilogy smacked of excess — a painfully slow and padded affair that looked and felt more like an in-store demo for big-screen TVs than a sprawling epic of men and monsters. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is, in that sense, a marked improvement. For one thing, it doesn't take an hour for something to happen. Instead, after a brief yet engaging flashback to the first encounter between Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Thorin (Richard Armitage), the film explodes into life with a pursuit of the Dwarf Dozen et al, and remains — by and large — a pursuit to the end. In terms of the storyline, well, it's the same as the first film because, as you'll recall, it's still the same story. The dwarves, whose names are entirely forgettable (Boring, son of Boredom and heir to the Realm of Snore), are still on a quest to reclaim their mountain kingdom from Smaug, the gold-loving dragon. Standing between them are a ferocious pack of orcs (Windows Vista) and giant spiders (OSX). Fans of the book will be surprised to discover an Elven sub-plot has been inserted into the story, meaning fans of Orlando Bloom will be happy to discover Orlando Bloom. Jackson went even further, however, by inventing entirely new characters, most notably the she-Elf 'Tauriel', played by Evangeline Lilly. Fortunately, it's a gamble that paid off, because Tauriel's scenes are amongst the film's best, both in terms of action sequences and her quiet romantic attraction to the dwarf known as…I want to say 'Kili'? (Aidan Turner). Perhaps the biggest mystery, though, is why, in a film called The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, we see an impossibly small amount of Hobbit, and don't meet Smaug until well into the second hour. It's a giant misstep by Jackson in failing to capitalise on Freeman's outstanding performance, with the actor's every confused blink and chuffed nod of the head lighting up the screen. Similarly, Freeman's scenes with Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) are the undisputed standouts, reuniting the Sherlock duo in battles of wits and words that prove far more engaging than any of those involving swords. Languishing in his ocean of gold like a 747-sized Scrooge McDuck, Smaug is a delectably menacing villain deserving of far greater screen time, and Cumberbatch's mellifluous baritone voice is perfectly applied. This is a film with enough action to entertain and enough Tolkien to satisfy; however, it ultimately feels more 'distraction' than 'attraction'. As always, the world of Middle Earth looks exquisite on screen, ensuring Tourism New Zealand will remain in good currency for years to come, but it's also a powerful reminder that the unadulterated is almost always more compelling than CGI, and that no amount of special effects wizardry can compete with actual actors acting. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OPVWy1tFXuc
Over-the-top food and drink mashups might be popping up on seemingly every menu these days, but one has been around for much, much longer. That'd be the humble shandy, which mixes beer with something that's definitely not beer — something lemon-flavoured, usually — and makes for perfect summer sipping. Why just knock back a brew when you can also be drinking mango juice, ginger beer and squash? That's the thinking behind The Bavarian's summer shandy series — although no, you won't be downing all of the above ingredients at the same time. Instead, those tipples and a heap of others are featured in nine different shandies, which'll set you back between $10–15 each, come in 500-millilitre steins and are available all summer long. On the menu: the Summer Mango, which combines Franziskaner Hefe Weissbier with mango juice; the Michelada, a blend of 4 Pines Kolsch, bloody mary spiced juice and lime juice (with a chilli-salt rim); the Nightcap, which pairs Hofbrau Dunkel with coffee liqueur; and the Snake Bite, a mix of Bulmers apple cider, 4 Pines Kolsch and Chambord. Butterscotch, apple rye spice, whiskey and ginger, and a tequila concoction are also available — the latter called the Largarita — because these shandies can also include liqueurs and spirits. You'll find The Bavarian at Knox and Highpoint.
Experience a world without sight or sound as part of an immersive live theatre work at Arts House in North Melbourne. Developed over four years by artistic director Jodee Mundy in partnership with deafblind artists Heather Lawson and Michelle Stevens, Imagined Touch restricts the senses that most of us take for granted. This unique event — which will have its world premiere at Arts House on the Wednesday, September 7 — aims to replicate the sensory experience of deafblind people by having audience members wear headphones and light-altering goggles. Without the ability to see or hear, touch will become their primary means of communication, just as it is for the tens of thousands of deafblind Australians around the country. Isolation, access and the nature of personal boundaries are just a few of the difficult concepts participants will be forced to grapple with in what will surely be one of the most memorable theatre works they 'see' all year.
UPDATE Tuesday, October 26: A Wizardry High Tea has been postponed from its original dates to a series of new dates in May and July, 2022. See the website for the latest details and to grab tickets. If you're yet to get your life's fill of Harry Potter-related goodness, then clear your calendar and get set for another dose of wizarding fun. This spring, an immersive, Harry Potter-themed high tea is coming to Melbourne. The Harry Potter High Tea will take over a top-secret location across multiple sessions from October 21–November 26, with daytime sessions open to all ages and the night events reserved for adults only. There'll be butterbeer, polyjuice cocktails and appearances from some of the franchise's hit characters, as well as immersive activities including potion-making classes. Of course, the high tea spread will have a distinct HP lean to it, though exactly what's on the menu is being kept under wraps for now. Ticket-holders will be sent clues to the location of their high tea 30 days before the event, with the exact address revealed one week out. Tickets to the 'daybreak' sessions are $60, with 'twilight' passes coming in at $85. But as you can imagine, they're selling fast — nab yours here.
Chances are, you've already knocked back a few top-notch cold beers this summer. And you can continue your roll when the Great Australian Beer Festival returns to Geelong for its tenth anniversary edition later this month. Taking over Johnstone Park on Friday, January 20 and Saturday, January 21, the fest is dishing up a bumper serve of craft beer plus live entertainment, masterclasses, street food and more. You'll be able to taste your way through hundreds of drops from a hefty lineup of local breweries including Moon Dog, Hop Nation, Burnley Brewing, Kaiju, Stomping Ground and more. Plus, sample plenty more in the way of vino, cider, spirits and cocktails. More beery goodness comes in the form of expert masterclasses, forums, food pairing sessions and guided tastings. There'll be beer-friendly fare in abundance, courtesy of favourites like Burn City Smokers, Bavarian Bangers and Lil Dumpling Van. And over on the Culinary Stage, you'll catch sustainability-focused cooking demos whipping up everything from toasties to beer snacks. As for the entertainment, musical acts like Tyne-James Organ, Ash Grunwald, Jolyon Petch and Telenova will be hitting the Gage Roads Stage, while the live comedy stage is set to play host to big ticket acts including Tom Ballard, Kirsty Webeck and Alex Ward. One-day passes start from $37.62 with various packages available. The festivities run from 4–10pm on the Friday and 12–7pm on the Saturday.
It's the main reason most of Melbourne has made their way to Good Food Month over the last couple of years, and in 2018, the ever-popular Night Noodle Markets are back — and they're bigger than ever. This year, the markets will standalone from Good Food Month for a second time — the four-week food showcase happened in June. More than 20 different stalls will converge on Birrarung Marr for a whopping 18 nights this November. Among the spoils will be all manner of noodles, dumplings, Korean tacos, savoury waffles and other delights from Wonderbao, Hoy Pinoy, Puffle, Mr Miyagi and Son In Law. For dessert, Black Star Pastry and N2 Extreme Gelato will both be returning, as will Gelato Messina (can it top last year's deep-fried gelato katsu sandwich?). There will be live music and entertainment, too, and a pop-up cellar door, which will host a series of 'paint and sip' sessions, a craft brew pop-up, a Pimm's garden bar and, for the first time, a kombucha bar offering festival-goers bottomless kombucha — for free. The Night Noodle Markets are once again at Birrarung Marr and will run from Thursday, November 8 until Sunday, November 25. They'll be open Monday and Tuesday 5-9pm, Wednesday and Thursday 5–10pm, Friday 5–11pm, Saturday 4–10pm, and Sunday 4–9pm. Entry is free but the place — if other years are anything to go by — will be packed. Image: Bec Taylor
This Queen's Birthday Long Weekend, Melburnians are allowed to travel to regional Victoria once again, but it doesn't mean everyone can — or wants to. If you're staying local, it's certainly no time to despair. With restrictions easing, the city's shops, hiking trails, restaurants and entertainment spots are reopening, so there's plenty to explore. From starting your day with a flaky fresh-from-the-oven pastry to ending it watching a flick on the big screen at a drive-in cinema, our fair city has lots to offer. As some COVID-19 rules are still in place though, it's not 100 percent business as normal, with limited capacities and social distancing measures at most indoor and outdoor venues. So, we suggest you check the relevant websites before making plans. To find out exactly what you can and can't do under Victoria's current restrictions, have a look over here. [caption id="attachment_755062" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Falco Bakery[/caption] START YOUR DAY WITH A FLAKY FRESH-FROM-THE-OVEN PASTRY There's nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked bread and pastries to whip your appetite into a frenzy. And that first bite of fluffy doughnut or glazed danish, not too long out of the oven? That's one way to kick off your long weekend. One of the newer additions to Melbourne's bakery scene, Falco is the brainchild of the minds behind Bar Liberty and Capitano, who've here joined forces with Christine Tran (Tivoli Road Bakery, San Francisco's Tartine). Here you'll find a dreamy, innovative range of treats, both sweet and savoury, including the likes of crusty country-style loaves, cheeseburger pies and peanut butter miso cookies — though it's best to get in quick. If you want to keep the bakery crawl going, check out some more of our favourite bakeries across the city. SET SAIL DOWN THE YARRA ON A BYO PICNIC BOAT (WITH YOUR POOCH) If you want to embrace the fresh (albeit cold) air this long weekend, then head to a park for a leisurely picnic with your mates. Or, take things up a notch and feast on wine and cheese while cruising down the Yarra on one of GoBoat's eco-friendly picnic boats. Aimed at making the whole boating caper more accessible for everyday folk, the outfit's Scandinavian-designed vessels are slow-moving, a breeze to operate and don't require a boating licence, making for fuss-free sailing sessions. Each boat clocks in at 18-feet long, boasting a central picnic table with room for all the necessary snacks and booze. And despite what you might be thinking, they're pretty affordable — simply BYO food and drinks, round up enough people to jump aboard and a GoBoat session will cost you less than $22 per person, per hour. Oh, and did we mention they're pet-friendly? Surely you've got a very good boy who deserves a river jaunt. You can book here. [caption id="attachment_754694" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ocean Invaders[/caption] CHECK OUT A LUMINOUS JELLYFISH EXHIBITION Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium's interactive $1.5 million permanent jellyfish exhibition, Ocean Invaders, is worth a visit for those who'd rather spend their time indoors. Jellyfish are perhaps the most mystical of all sea creatures, but you probably haven't had much of a chance to get up close and personal with them — well, now's your chance. Spread across 300 square metres and three multi-sensory zones, and featuring thousands of jellyfish from a range of species, the exhibition is all about these ocean enigmas. You'll learn the ins and outs of jellyfish, watch them being cared for by Sea Life's ocean experts and even crawl through a cylindrical tank surrounded by them. In another zone, striking light projections lend even more magic to a range of living displays, including one transparent sphere that's packed full of floating creatures. Before you head in, you need to book a ticket, which you can do over at the website. [caption id="attachment_755976" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Coastal Walk, Mornington Peninsula, Visit Victoria/Derek Ross[/caption] HEAD ON A STUNNING SEASIDE WALK (AND PRETEND YOU'RE ON HOLIDAYS) In the spirit of turning off and seeking out some wholesome nature, we tracked down some top-notch seaside walks to freshen up your routine — because no walk will feed your soul like a walk by the water. From the beachside trails of the Mornington Peninsula to the bush tracks of Wilsons Prom, recharge this weekend by embarking on one of the nine best coastal walks near Melbourne. Expect wild scrub, picturesque paths, hidden lagoons and well-placed pubs on your endeavours.While technically out of town, most of these walks can be done as a day trip — or you can tackle the eight-day track on the Great Ocean Walk. [caption id="attachment_622465" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brook James[/caption] CATCH A RETRO FLICK AT A DRIVE-IN CINEMA Most of Australia's cinema industry has earmarked July as its relaunch date, aiming to reopen in time for the planned release of Christopher Nolan's Tenet. But if you're a movie buff keen for some big-screen fun before that, Melbourne's drive-in cinemas are filling the gap — and, given that their whole concept involves folks watching flicks in cars, social distancing is already part of the experience. You can head to Dandenong's Lunar Drive-In, Village Cinemas Coburg Drive-In or the Dromana Drive-In. On the various cinemas' lineups: The Fast & the Furious, Shaun The Sheep: Farmageddon, 1917 and Bloodshot at Lunar; Cats, Mad Max: Fury Road, Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction at Coburg; and Sonic the Hedgehog, Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Muriel's Wedding at Dromana. [caption id="attachment_723354" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Taquito, Julia Sansone[/caption] HIT UP A BAR, PUB OR RESTAURANT During lockdown, many of the city's hospitality venues had to close (or offer takeaway only), but now a whole swag of them are back and welcoming dine-in customers once again. Whether you want to have a pint and a parma at your local, tuck into a taco feast or go to Carlton's OTT hot pot restaurant, you can. If you want to get a cheap feed at the CBD's debaucherous burger bar Mary's or hire out your own private igloo for dinner and drinks, you can do that, too. Or, hit up any of the reopened bars, restaurants, pubs and cafes you wish. Hot tip: with venues allowed a maximum of 20 customers (or one per four square metres) many require reservations, so check before heading in. Top image: Squeaky Beach, Wilsons Promontory by Garry Moore/Visit Victoria
A feed from acclaimed chef Ben Shewry usually comes at a hefty price — $295 a head, no less — which is fair enough, seeing as his Ripponlea restaurant Attica is regularly ranked the best in Australia. But, this month, you'll have the chance to sample the star's cooking for less than $30. Attica is popping up at the Australian Open 2020 from January 20–February 2, dishing up tasty morsels on the Grand Slam Oval every day of the competition. Available from when the gates open (usually 10am) until sold out, Taste of Attica will be serving up two exclusive dishes, both celebrating sustainable and native Australian ingredients. You can choose from the the smoked kangaroo, pork and cheddar kransky ($28) loaded into a soft bun with onions and davidson plum sauce, or you might opt for the gluten-free black ant and avocado tostada ($23.50) topped with finger lime and mint. Of course, to nab one, you'll also need to have bought a ticket into the Australian Open itself. https://www.instagram.com/p/BlSIabWnkQF/ If you miss out, Shewry is also lending his talents to the Australian Open Finals Table, which seems some of Melbourne's best restaurants pair up for a series of degustations and banquets during the tennis finals. As well as Attica, which will be teaming up with Vue de Monde, other top restaurant duos that have jumped on board include Stokehouse and Matilda, Sunda and Tea Room at the European, and Lesa and Yagiz.
If you've ever turned up at a house party and been sorely disappointed by the lack of penguins, this is the event for you. The Melbourne Sea Life Aquarium is throwing another series of aquarium parties — because why the heck not? The Friday night series kicks off with a party on February 8, and is the perfect opportunity to stare down a fish right in his slimy eye while sipping a cocktail. Aquarium parties will then be held in March, May, August and finish with a Halloween-themed soirée in November. Tickets are a bit exxy at $49 for early birds and $59 afterwards, but the price includes a cocktail and a snack on arrival. Further drinks and food can be bought over the bar, and a DJ will be playing all night. Entry into the aquarium (usually around $34) is obviously included as well which means you'll get to look at the 10,000-plus creatures, including one of Australia's largest saltwater crocodiles (probably the only time in your life you might be pleased to see a crocodile at a party). Sea Life Nights run from 6–10pm.
Which do you love more: picking up a haul of new plants at bargain prices, enjoying that much cherished weekend sleep-in or having a few brews? If your answer is all three, you'll be pleased to know you can have your cake and eat it too when The Mill Brewery plays host to a couple of after-dark plant sales later this month. Greenery-loving pop-up Wandering Jungle invites punters to drop by after work, pick up some lush new foliage for their collections and then party on into the night. Kicking off at 4pm on both Wednesday, February 6 and Thursday, February 7, the event will showcase a variety of indoor plant species for you to browse and buy, from birds of paradise to plenty of cacti to the good ol' fiddle leaf fig. To round out the evening shopping experience, Fatboy's Food Truck will be slinging pizza, nachos and share platters, while local DJ favourites Matka and 6am at the Garage work their magic on the decks. And drinks-wise, the bar will be serving up its usual selection of tasty libations — including $6 schooners of beer on tap, ciders and wine during the 5–7pm happy hour. Image: Wandering Jungle.
While forking out hundreds of bucks for music festivals seems commonplace, indie label Lesstalk Records of Footscray are bucking the trend and have created their own DIY festival for only $25. Set in the laid-back, green surrounds of Forrest (1.5 hours from Melbourne), it's a chance to escape from your everyday life and be introduced to new bands from Lesstalk — as well as their friends from around the country. What they are offering is simple: a place to relax and listen to music. Spread across two nights, you will need a place to rest your head, so Artless Armchair 11 offers a range of camping and cabin options at The Wonky Stables for an additional fee. However these are still dirt cheap at just $30, compared to the money-grabbing popular festivals. When you’re not enjoying the music, the location is perfect for going for a bush walk, having a dip in the nearby dam, or just sitting back and saying, "How’s the serenity?"
After a successful launch in 2014, the Port Phillips Mussel Festival is back for a tasty, tasty second year. The streets of South Melbourne will come alive with music (including an Elvis impersonator, if you're into the King), seriously good food and drink and, of course, an abundance of mussels. Joining the party are some of the region's top chefs and restaurants, including St Ali, Mr Lawrence at the London, Dandelion and Acland Street Cantina. All the South Melbourne Market restaurants will be there too, with Claypots Evening Star, Paco y Lola, Köy and Simply Spanish getting creative with their regular menus for the event. So if you're any smidge of a foodie, or are simply keen to treat your tastebuds to a royal feast, get down to the South Melbourne Market and sample mussel paella, wok-cooked drunken mussels, artisanal ice cream, Gerry's doughnuts, and a real good time.
After a dinner date idea that'll satisfy your taste buds while helping support a great cause? You'll find it in Kensington this autumn as social enterprise Scarf returns for its latest life-changing dinner series. The hospitality training and mentorship program has clocked up 13 years of helping marginalised youth and those from migrant backgrounds make their way into the hospitality industry. And every Wednesday from March 15–May 10 (except April 26), it's continuing this important work, popping up at sustainability-focused eatery Cassette for a fresh run of weekly feasts. [caption id="attachment_893695" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben Moynihan[/caption] Run by the newest batch of Scarf trainees and their mentors, the two-course dinners clock in at $55 per person, showcasing a seasonal, produce-driven menu by Cassette Head Chef Laura Boulton. Not only can diners feel good about doing their bit for the Scarf program, but there's the added bonus of the night's feed being super sustainable, thanks to Cassette's zero-waste approach and commitment to minimising food mileage. The eatery is powered by 100-percent accredited GreenPower energy and even has a Closed Loop bio-composter that repurposes all of its food waste. [caption id="attachment_893696" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassette, by Ben Moynihan[/caption] Top image: Roger Ungers
Normally when the middle of the year hits — when Australia's weather is at its frostiest, aptly — the annual Scandinavian Film Festival rolls into cinemas around the country. In Sydney and Melbourne in 2021, that timing coincided with lengthy lockdowns, so the fest is bringing back its Nordic noir-heavy lineup for another spin before the year is out. Actually, the Scandinavian Film Festival Sydney run didn't even get to go ahead back in July, while Melbourne's was interrupted by stay-at-home stints. In both cities, the event will now help see out spring and welcome summer with a heap of films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway. Sure, the warm weather won't make you think of cold Nordic climes, but the on-screen lineup is still impressive. Kicking off on Tuesday, November 23 in Sydney and Friday, November 26 on Melbourne, the returning 2021 fest launches with a must-see new entry in the Scandi-noir genre. Hailing from Denmark, opening night's Wildland stars Sidse Babette Knudsen (Borgen, Westworld) as the head of a family crime syndicate. She's charged with looking after her teenage niece and, in a movie that instantly brings Australia's own Animal Kingdom to mind, the latter soon learns more about the family business. Also on this year's Scandinavian Film Festival lineup: Knudsen again in Copenhagen-set psychological thriller The Exception; masterful and engaging Norwegian film Disco, about an evangelical dance champion who finds her faith tested; and surreal mother-daughter drama Psychosis in Stockholm. Or, for fans of Nordic cinema's big names, relationship drama Hope co-stars Stellan Skarsgård (Chernobyl), musical comedy A Piece of My Heart sees Swedish-born actor Malin Akerman (Rampage) back on home turf, and The County hails from Icelandic filmmaker Grímur Hákonarson — who directed Rams, which was remade in Australia last year. Other highlights include Icelandic box office hits Agnes Joy and The Last Fishing Trip, the latter of which has been compared to The Hangover; Finnish biopics Helene and Tove, about painter Helene Schjerfbeck and visual artist and author Tove Jansson, respectively; and Tigers, which tells the true tale of former Inter Milan player Martin Bengtsson. Or, there's also Diana's Wedding, which isn't actually about that Diana — plus closing night's 50th anniversary-screening of The Emigrants starring Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann. The Scandinavian Film Festival will screen at Sydney's Palace Norton, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinemas from November 23–December 15 and at Melbourne's Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, The Kino and Pentridge Cinema from November 26–December 15. For the full program, visit the festival website.
Twirling elegantly around the stage as part of a world-class ballet performance is one thing, but just imagine getting to do so kitted out in stunning outfits by Jean Paul Gaultier. Announced today, a dark contemporary retelling of Snow White by France's Ballet Preljocaj is coming to Melbourne, complete with a wardrobe of captivating costumes by the internationally acclaimed haute couture designer. Gaultier's work will complement what promises to be a multi-sensory masterpiece; the show features choreography from renowned French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, gorgeous set design by celebrated artist Thierry Leproust and a soundtrack of lush Gustav Mahler symphonies. Preljocaj's Snow White adaptation made its Australian debut at QPAC for the 2016 Brisbane Festival, last year scoring the Helpmann Award for Best Ballet. "I was very keen to tell a story, offer something magical and enchanted," explained Preljocaj. "I have followed the version by the Grimm Brothers, with just a few personal variations based on my own analysis of the symbols in the tale". Snow White will be at the Arts Centre for six shows only. Images: Jean-Claude Carbonne.
A balmy afternoon spent hanging out in an historic garden, quaffing bubbly and playing petanque — it sounds like something out of some European holiday, though come Saturday, January 19, you won't have to go anywhere near as far to enjoy this very situation. The Macedon Ranges' Cleveland Winery is gearing up to host its inaugural Sparkling Pinot and Petanque event, delivering a fun summer session within its lush green grounds. You'll have a chance to show off your lawn games skills on one of the petanque courses, with experts from the Woodend Hanging Rock Petanque Club on hand to help polish those moves. And you can enjoy sparkling pinot and cheese boards while you play. The winery's famous underground cellar door will play host to blind tasting sessions throughout the afternoon, as well as offering a range of locally crafted Herbal Lore liqueurs and Tooborc Brewery craft beers. Tasty bites will come courtesy of both Donald & Tuck Food Truck and Cleveland's own woodfired pizza menu, and there'll be a grape-stomping championship if all that petanque has unleashed a bit of competitive spirit. Depending on the size of your crew, there are a range of ticket packages available, with adult single tickets starting from $20.
Atop iconic Curtin House on Swanston Street, illuminated by the moon and the lights of city skyscrapers, the screen at Rooftop Cinema & Bar is about to flicker back to life. Fresh on the heels of The Shadow Electric in Abbotsford and Ben & Jerry’s Openair Cinema in St Kilda, the folks at Melbourne’s highest-altitude outdoor picture house have just unveiled the first half of their summer program, with plenty of awesome choices to whet cinephilic appetites. The party begins on December 5 with a screening of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. Other recent releases on the schedule include Gravity, Francis Ha, The Counselor and, perhaps the year’s most talked about film: Sharknado. As fun as those titles might be, it’s the retro picks that show the team have really outdone themselves. Unlike Ben & Jerry’s, the program at Rooftop leans heavily on nostalgia, with titles like Pulp Fiction, Casablanca and The Blues Brothers barely scratching the surface of the film-buff favourites on offer. The latter flick is just one in a kick-ass '80s stream that also includes Labyrinth, The Goonies and Stand by Me. The following decade is similarly well represented by Reality Bites, Point Break and Dazed and Confused, amongst numerous others. This year also sees Rooftop teaming up with the gang from Speakeasy Cinema for a Tuesday sidebar that includes Lena Dunham’s breakout feature Tiny Furniture, David Lynch’s divisive Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and the new film from David Gordon Green, Prince Avalanche. The week leading up to Australia Day, meanwhile, features a trio of great local flicks in the form of Muriel’s Wedding, BMX Bandits and the newly released Mystery Road. Seating at Rooftop begins at 9:00pm for a 9:30pm start. The good news is that the bar begins operations at midday, as does the All Day Burger shack. One floor down, Mesa Verde opens at 5:00pm and offers a wide selection of beer, wine, tequila and Mexican cuisine. For more information about Rooftop Cinema including the full December-January program, see here. The February-April program will be announced at the end of January.
The weather may try to convince you otherwise, but the end of June has a couple of things worth celebrating. One: it's the end of the financial year (hello, tax return). Two: long winter nights equal extra party time. And if there is anyone that knows how to throw a good party, it's the Haitian voudou spirit Baron Samedi. The guardian of the afterlife thrives on creativity and spontaneity and is known for all things debauchery. To pull you out of your winter funk and make use of this party spirit, Baron Samedi spiced rum is hosting a month-long pop-up at The Perseverance Hotel in Fitzroy. The festivities will kick off at 7pm on Saturday, June 30, so prepare for the lights to go down and the music to turn up. DJs will be soundtracking the night as the 'Baronette' brand ambassadors roam the venue handing out free samples of the velvety-smooth spice rum. And, if you like what you taste, the bar will be slinging a bespoke Baron cocktail for a neat tenner. The Summon the Baron is the label's take on a dark and stormy cocktail with Baron Samedi spiced rum, ginger beer and fresh lime. Baron Samedi can work his black magic on you and cure you mere mortals of any disease, wound or hex if he thinks it is worthwhile. So get your game face on and the laces on your dancing shoes tied. The Baron Samedi pop-up runs from Saturday, June 30 till the end of July.
UPDATE, January 25, 2022 — Top End Wedding is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. If Top End Wedding turns Miranda Tapsell into a huge movie star, then the Australian romantic comedy will have done its job. A shining light on local screens since first appearing in The Sapphires in 2012, she's not only the lead in this likeable film, but a co-writer with Joshua Tyler — and she's glowing across both roles. In fact, Tapsell is one of the key elements keeping the amiable movie bubbling, even when it favours well-worn rom-com cliches and tropes. Earlier this year, she was fierce and frank with Nakkiah Lui in their one-episode takeover of Get Krack!n. Now, she's a delight as an overworked Adelaide lawyer who's not only heading home to Darwin to get hitched, but trying to find her runaway mother before the ceremony. It's a familiar setup, in general terms: nuptials beckon, and so does both personal and professional chaos. Lauren (Tapsell) has been at her demanding boss' (Kerry Fox) beck and call for years, striving to secure a promotion. Then her boyfriend Ned (Gwilym Lee) asks for her hand in marriage on the same day that her work wish comes true. Complicating factors include Ned's newly unemployed status, although he doesn't tell Lauren, and the fact that she's only been given ten days to throw the wedding and return to the grind. Landing in the Northern Territory only adds to the couple's woes, especially with Lauren's mum Daffy (Ursula Yovich) gone AWOL, and her dad Trevor (Huw Higginson) spending his time bawling and listening to love ballads in a cupboard. Although there's no shortage of pals (Shari Sebbens, Elaine Crombie and Dalara Williams) on hand to help with the lightning-fast preparations, Lauren won't tie the knot without her mother present. Tracking Daffy down is a task that's easier said than done, sending Top End Wedding's lovebirds on a tour of the NT. While Australian cinema is guilty of using the country's landscape as an additional character to the point of overkill, director Wayne Blair (The Sapphires) and cinematographer Eric Murray Lui (TV's Rosehaven and Black Comedy) make vibrant use of their locations — indeed, their film is as much of a love letter to the region as it is to its leading lady. Of course, one influences the other. Tapsell is a local, and whether wandering through Kakadu National Park or journeying over to the Tiwi Islands, the movie always feels authentic. Crucially, Top End Wedding also overflows with warmth, which assists the film's template-like narrative considerably. It's glaringly easy to see where the story is heading, and more than a few developments strain the bounds of logic. But two details stand out amongst the hen's night shenanigans, anarchic road trips, convenient miscommunications and multiple layers of family mess. Firstly, there's a difference between lazily adhering to genre conventions and deploying them affectionately, with Tapsell and Tyler's script largely falling into the second category. Secondly, the power and tenderness that emanates from the movie's Tiwi Islands-set third act can't be underestimated. A big-screen sight that's even more rare than an Indigenous Aussie rom-com, the film gives the area a huge hug — embracing and including the local community, highlighting the importance of place to Australia's first peoples and culture, and showcasing this underseen part of the country. The feel-good vibe extends to the movie's performances, with Blair's cast all bouncing along. Like the other rom-com reaching cinemas this week, Long Shot, Top End Wedding also owes a debt to the chemistry between its main couple. When contrivance creeps in (such as detouring for a romantic break when it's already been established that everyone is racing against the clock), Tapsell and Lee surge through. Lee has been having just as a great a year as Tapsell, thanks to his bewigged role as Brian May in multiple Oscar-winner Bohemian Rhapsody, and the two actors make an engaging pair. In Top End Wedding, they help charisma, energy and a fond atmosphere mostly overcome familiarity. When the film finds its broad, joyous sweet spot, especially in its back half, it works a charm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoDBvGF9pPU
Last week we hosted a 'four elements'-themed dinner in collaboration with Stoneleigh. Held inside The Stoneleigh Project, a pop-up wine and art installation, the sensory dinner featured birds' nests, soil, smoke, fire and caviar. And lots of wild fermented wine. Before the dinner, guests journeyed through the installation dedicated nature's elements and Stoneleigh's "winemaking philosophy of minimum intervention and respecting nature's wonder," as Stoneleigh wine ambassador Ambar Maddox explained. "This year, we wanted to make the installation more conceptual and really lead our customer on a journey. We wanted to make sure each room could tell a different part of our story, using a contemporary visual art approach to depict nature's stories, hero wild fermentation and our Wild Valley wine range." After wandering through bubbles, rivers and mirrors, guests were led into a secret dining room hidden behind a one-way mirror. Then, they dove into the first course: an ode to the water element. Thinly-sliced kingfish topped with caviar was washed down with a citrus-noted Wild Valley sauvignon blanc. Next, a lifelike — but edible — bird's nest, complete with a sous-vide quail egg and truffle, was paired with a glass of savoury Wild Valley pinot noir. Earth was followed by fire as Tim Newitt, head chef of Collingwood restaurant Project Forty Nine, torched Flinders Island lamb metres from the table then topped it with black, volcanic salt. To complement, but not compete with, the smoky course was paired with a bold and blackberry-rich Rapaura pinot noir. To round out the sensory dinner — dessert. Part dining, part magic show, the dish saw the floor staff pour billowing clouds over a sculptural dessert made with compressed honeydew melon, meringue and river mint, picked locally by the restaurant's secret forager. This air-inspired dish was served with Stoneleigh's Rapaura pinot gris, its poached pair and honey notes pairing harmoniously with the mystical dessert. Missed out on our dinner? You still have time to visit The Stoneleigh Project and try their range of Wild Valley wines. The pop-up is open until November 5 at 524 Flinders Street, Melbourne; weeknights 4–10pm and weekends 12–10pm. Images: Brook James.
For one plant-powered evening this month, food truck park The Ascot Lot is ditching the animal products and throwing a vegan celebration to remember. Tuesday, June 21, marks the return of the precinct's popular Vegan Nights — a pop-up night market dedicated to vegan wares, with a dedicated lineup of plant-based eats and drinks to match. Kicking off from 5pm, there'll be a hefty curation of cruelty-free and vegan-friendly market stalls to shop, slinging everything from fashion and jewellery, to gourmet pantry items and beauty products. To fuel your shopping adventures, catch a jam-packed menu of plant-based eats courtesy of food trucks like The Dolly Bus, Cha Chas Vegan Mexican and doughnut masters St Gerry's. You'll be able to wash it down with craft brews, cocktails, and hand-warming serves of mulled cider and wine, while DJ Fragile Future soundtracks the evening's festivities with some cruisy midweek beats.
Surfers Paradise is known for many things — sun, surf, sand, Schoolies and tourists, mainly — but there's one thing that the Gold Coast strip hasn't had for more than 20 years. That's a cinema, after Hoyts shut up shop back in 1995. Local cinephiles and holidaying movie buffs can rejoice, however, with Palace announcing plans to open a 12-screen complex later this year. Coming to the corner of Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Elkhorn Avenue as part of the X Galaxy Centre redevelopment, the cinema will feature multiple lounge and bar areas, plus views over the city, all a mere block away from the beach. It'll form part of an extensive retail and dining precinct, and will be serviced by the light rail system. Patrons can expect the usual array of Palace bar offerings when the cinema opens — with an exact date yet to be announced — plus the chain's mix of art house and mainstream titles. Other than the Home of the Arts cinema (formerly known as the Arts Centre Gold Coast), the area is underserved when it comes to anything other than blockbuster and multiplex fare, making Palace a welcome addition. The Surfers site will bring the company's Queensland locations to three, with Palace operating 22 in total across Australia. They're certainly busy — as well as opening a 13-screen, pink-hued cinema in Sydney's Chippendale last year, new sites in Double Bay and Melbourne's Old Pentridge Prison and Moonee Ponds are also in the works.
Maybe you first saw Mad Max: Fury Road in a cinema, with engine roars echoing through the theatre, and cars racing and crashing across the big screen. Perhaps you initially watched the exceptional Aussie flick — the best action movie of this century, and the best Australian film of the same period as well — at home. So, you felt all that revving reverberating through your lounge room. Whichever fits, there's no way that you can ever forget the experience. Fury Road arrived after three decades of anticipation, and it well and truly delivered beyond everyone's wildest dreams. There's zero chance that you've forgotten its many vehicles, either, because this is a film that knows how to get fast and furious (yes, even more so than that other franchise). Can't get those cars out of your head? Love movie history, and keen to own a piece of it? Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers have just the thing for you, then, with 13 vehicles from Fury Road going under the hammer. Yes, if you need new ride that's all shiny and chrome, you can get your hands on the Nux car, the Doof Wagon, the War Rig, the Pole Car, the Fire Car and more. Read those names, and you already know which vehicles we're talking about. When the great George Miller, Fury Road's director — and the filmmaker behind the entire Mad Max franchise — dreamed up these sets of wheels, he truly came up with movie cars for the ages. Obviously, the Fury Road vehicles aren't going to come cheap. But if you somehow have the necessary cash, they'll be up for auction across the weekend of Saturday, September 25–Sunday, September 26 — and, as they're part of a tender, you'll need to submit an expression of interest first. Clearly, they're the best things to drive if you find yourself in a desertscape that's part of a post-apocalyptic wasteland — or if you want to pretend that's the case. And, they're something Mad Max-related to get pumped about until the next movie in the franchise, Furiosa, hits cinemas. Need a reminder of just how all the vehicles look in the film? Check out the Fury Road trailer below: Thirteen cars from Mad Max: Fury Road will be up for auction across the weekend of Saturday, September 25–Sunday, September 26. For further information, head to the Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers website.
If you thought intellectual discussions were best enjoyed alongside stuffy, hifalutin food, here's an event that's sure to change your tune. Across a series of talks at temporary arts and ideas space Testing Grounds, you'll get those mind cogs whirring over the best kind of lo-fi comfort food – hot, cheesy jaffles. The Jaffle Symposium has returned to the Southbank site for its 2019 edition, with three more sessions to run before it all wraps up on August 17. Each of the free events features a thought-provoking discussion with a couple of interesting experts, enjoyed while tucking into some themed sandwiches. On Saturday, July 27, The Seaweed Appreciation Society International's Lichen Kelp and Danni Zuvela will open your mind to some unconventional uses for seaweed, while sharing 'ocean bread' jaffles around the fire. Saturday, August 3 will be dedicated to fat, steered by artists Mike Thompson and Arne Hendricks, the minds behind the world's first floating island of fat — the Fatberg in Amsterdam, Netherlands — with that session featuring a fittingly decadent three-cheese jaffle. And on Saturday, August 17, you'll explore the ideas of mythologies and rituals in urban landscapes with dramaturg Mark Pritchard and playwright Sibyl Kempson, matched to an oozy marshmallow jaffle. While Jaffle Symposium events are free, you'll need to RSVP to reserve your spot.
Why drink at just one watering hole, when you can head to two, three, six or 11? That's always been the motivation behind everyone's favourite boozy journey, aka a pub crawl. And, it's exactly the same type of thinking behind the long-running Urban Wine Walk. Back for its next Melbourne wander this spring, it's the bar-hopping excuse every vino-lover needs — if you need an excuse, that is. From midday until 4pm on Saturday, October 1, you'll saunter around Prahran — jumping between the likes of White Oaks Saloon, The Prahran Hotel, Casa N.O.M., The Emerson, Ruelle Wine Bar and more — sampling wines and having a mighty fine time. [caption id="attachment_725708" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Casa N.O.M., by Griffin Simm[/caption] As for the tipples offered at each of the eight venues, they'll be curated by a heap of top local wineries such as Rob Dolan, Soumah, Zonzo Estate and Save Our Souls, so prepare to get sipping. Tickets will set you back $75 and you'll get to choose which venue you kick off from, though spots are limited. Guests will enjoy a stack of wine tastings, a tasting glass to keep and a $10 voucher to spend on food, plus $25 redeemable for take-home wine purchases on the day.
Most popular in the city of its birth, No Lights No Lycra has spread across the globe but remains at its most wild and daggy at its two Melbourne haunts. Daggy entirely by choice, and proud to be, NLNL is the dance community we should all worship. From its organic, loose-limbed beginnings in 2009, NLNL is an opportunity to truly set your mind and body free in a space where everyone is equal under the shadow of darkness. The concept is simple: it’s dark and no one is expected to wear tightly fitting lycra (though no one is stopping you, either - they’re free and easy like that). The unruly dance students who started the movement, Alice Glenn and Heidi Barrett, still run the classes at Will Sampson Hall in Windsor every Tuesday evening, and at 49 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East, on Wednesdays. Often oversubscribed, it’s important to check if there’s space at a class before rocking up. Wednesdays in Brunswick East might be your best bet. The class starts at 7pm, under the church. For the most up-to-date information, it’s best to follow their Twitter account. Trust us, this is a welcoming bunch and if ever there was a congregation to support the goodness of your soul through the graceless flinging of one’s limbs, this is it. Image by masochismtango.
Looking to the future opens up a vast expanse of possibilities — some hopeful, many frightening, few certain. Even contemplating the options can really push the limits of our conceptual thinking. Fortunately, there are experts and creative thinkers out there who love nothing more. The results of those thought experiments have come to life and can be found at the University of Melbourne's Science Gallery. Science Gallery Melbourne is the perfect place to ponder the big questions. It's part of the Global Science Gallery Network — the only node of this innovative hive mind currently existing in Australia. The current highlight exhibition, Not Natural, explores the daring question of the future: how far will humanity's meddling of nature go — and will we still find ourselves on top of the food chain when we're done? [caption id="attachment_942091" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Patricia Piccinini, Kindred. Photo by Matthew Stanton[/caption] As scientific thought evolves, concepts that were once outlandish sci-fi are becoming reality: cloning, de-extinction, AI — any of which could prove to change the world for better or worse. Accordingly, this exhibit gathers local and international projects exploring the growing friction between natural and artificial. It's part art gallery, part experiment, and all groundbreaking. Works on display include Patricia Piccinini's orangutan-human hybrid family sculpture Kindred, Neil Mendoza's AI-powered typing tins of spam Spambots, real Tasmanian tiger specimens from the University of Melbourne's Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research (TIGGR) Lab, and touchable silicone organs in Noemie Soula's Mythical Living Data. Additionally, the exhibit is supported by a packed live program, including a live cooking show with bio-artists and lab-grown meat and three Friday night parties headlined by Melbourne-based contemporary artists and theatre companies. All that's left in this exciting exhibit is for you to go take a look and be the judge of the most likely course for our future. Not Natural runs every Wednesday—Saturday at Science Gallery Melbourne until Saturday, June 29. For more information, visit the website. Top images: Noemie Soula, Mythical Living Data; Neil Mendoza, Spambots. Photos by Matthew Stanton.
After setting up their big screen earlier in 2017 — and packing out Buluk Park — Dockland's free open-air cinema is back for a second outing. This time, it's bigger and better, too. Presented by Victoria Harbour, the summer 2018 season will run over Friday nights from January 26 to March 2. On the agenda: new and old favourites such as Strictly Ballroom (for Australia Day, naturally), The Karate Kid and Ethel & Ernest, the latter of which arrives after featuring at the 2017 Melbourne International Film Festival. Pack a rug and some snacks, or leave the work to whichever eatery you like, with the site featuring a designated UberEats drop-off point. The event is alcohol-free, but if you're keen for a pre-movie tipple, stop in at Collins Street's Bar Nacional on the way to the park. Just note that there is no reserved seating, so make sure you're on time to score a prime spot on the lawn — gates open at 7pm, with the screening kicking off around 8.30pm as the sun goes down. Tickets for the first three sessions are available now, and keep an eye on the cinema website for further titles as they're announced. By Aobh O'Brien-Moody and Sarah Ward.
Buckle up, beach goers, because it's that time again — the sand delivery has arrived and Section 8 is transforming into tropical beach paradise. The outdoor CBD bar's annual Urban Oasis Beach Party series is back for four nights this January, and the lineup will get you pumped. Along with a few tonnes of sand and plenty of beach umbrellas, each night will feature a unique selection of beats, all curated around a killer headliner. Planète take the helm on the Thursday night, before handing over to Afrik Futurism, Naram and friends on Friday. The party comes to a head on Saturday, when Harry McCanna takes over, while Sunday it's DJ Jnett and Mr Pitiful's time in the spotlight. Brews-wise, prepare to sip on Plantation Rum, plus brews from Stone & Wood. The fun kicks off at 5pm on Thursday and runs through until 11pm on Sunday. Images: Duncographic.
In its efforts to help the state recover from the pandemic, the Victorian Government has spent the last six months trying to entice Melburnians out of the house. First, to boost the local tourism sector, it offered up vouchers for travel to regional areas. Next, it rolled out the same initiative to Melbourne, to do the same in the CBD. Now, it wants to give the inner city's hospitality industry a helping hand, so it's bringing in a new plan. Called the CBD Dining Experiences Scheme, and set to launch in the coming weeks, it'll offer rebates for having a meal in the City of Melbourne — up to a maximum of $100. Announced on Sunday, May 9 as part of the Victorian Government's next $260 million in spending to revitalise the city, and set to be included in the 2021–22 Victorian Budget, the CBD Dining Experiences Scheme will provide 20-percent rebates on cafe and restaurant bills. Details on how it'll work, how Melburnians will claim their cash back, who it'll apply to and any other caveats haven't been revealed as yet, and neither has an exact start date; however, the minimum you'll be able to get back is $10 (so, you'll need to be spending at least $50). The Victorian Government will provide $7.4 million towards the scheme, with the City of Melbourne kicking in another $1 million. The dining initiative comes after the success of the aforementioned Melbourne Travel Voucher Scheme — and adapts an idea that's already been rolled out in New South Wales (and, before that, in the UK as well). [caption id="attachment_706673" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Josie Withers, Visit Victoria[/caption] Also part of the broader $260 million spending package: $100 million to create the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, which'll be used to help renew city spaces — by funding arts and cultural events in the CBD, and supporting small businesses as they recover from the past year. It'll be matched by the same investment by the City of Melbourne, too, creating a pool of $200 million in total. The Victorian Government will also allocate $55 million to Visit Victoria, to be put into campaigns to attract visitors to Melbourne. Announcing the funding plans, Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino said that "life is returning to the CBD, and we're making sure the recovery continues with support for all of the things that Victorians and visitors love about Melbourne. We're backing the buzz of our cafes, restaurants and bars – and the people who make their living from them." Melbourne's CBD Dining Experiences Scheme is set to start in the coming weeks. For more information, head to the Victorian Government website.
Enter the charming little dream world of Lucy Folk, from her covetable candy-hued cocktail clutches to wearable works of art, and make them yours thanks to its online archive sale — all for a fraction of the price, too. Older styles and past collections are available at up to 70 percent off retail price. We're talking crocheted copper earrings, choker necklaces, colourful loungewear, clutches and basket-woven bags, retro-inspired shades and more. The Australian designer is known for her incredibly luxe yet playful accessories and wares, drawing inspiration from a variety of avenues in her life, although food and travel are two of the clearest. In the online sale, you'll find Moroccan-inspired clothing such as boldly striped robes, boilersuits, dresses, pants and kaftans — all of which are perfect for lazing around the house. Jewellery-wise, expect sphinx-like earrings and ones that look like coral; pearl-encrusted hoops; simple gold, silver and copper chokers; fun beaded necklaces; and a bunch of rings and bracelets — from fine and dainty to statement pieces. You can also nab a pair of her coveted sunnies for just $100, which usually retail for upwards of $375, as well as $125 off her much-loved beaded clutches. As we move into cooler autumnal weather and shorter days — and not to mention spending almost all our time at home — future you will thank Lucy Folk (and your shopping habits) for adding a burst of cheer to your every day outfits. The sale ends at midnight tonight, Monday, April 20 — so you best be quick. Lucy Folk Archive Sale runs until 11.59pm AEST.
Everyone's favourite gaming-themed burger joint 8bit has clocked up four years of life — and what better way to celebrate that little milestone, than with more of the good stuff? This time around, 8bit's taking on an international classic, dishing up its own take on the humble Big Mac. Fittingly dubbed the Big Pac, this one's a tasty tower rocking two beef patties, lettuce, pickles, double American cheese and a special Pac sauce. The burger hits both 8bit stores — in Footscray and the CBD — from Monday, November 5, and is set to stick around for a whole month. It's available solo for $16.50, or matched with your choice of side and drink as part of a Big Pac meal-deal for $20. If you're feeling extra celebratory, you can even add on an 8bit birthday sundae ($8). It's a limited-edition collaboration with Gelato Messina, featuring brioche gelato and raspberry puree, with white chocolate and pink coconut icing.
French, Spanish, German, American, Japanese: Australia has no shortage of film festivals categorised by country. But what about the stories of those with no nation at all? Lighting up screens for the first time as part of this year's Refugee Week, the films in the Refugee Film Festival will explore the trials and tribulations of people fleeing persecution and war. The festival will be held at Carlton's Cinema Nova from June 18-23. Standout titles include The Staging Post, which chronicles the lives of two asylum seekers stuck in Indonesia as a result of Australia's policy of turning back boats; The Land Between, about sub-Saharan African migrants living in the mountains of northern Morocco; and Constance on Edge, a ten-year project that tells the story of a Sudanese refugee family making a new life in Australia. Cinephiles outside of Sydney and Melbourne can also put their hand up to host a screening themselves. For more information on how to make that happen, as well as the full festival program, go here.
The end of Game of Thrones is coming, with the show's eighth and final season kicking off this month. Not ready to say goodbye? Try claiming the Iron Throne for yourself instead. Joining the huge list of GoT-themed bits and pieces — including spinoff series, official tours, boozy banquets and ice hotels — is Game of Thrones Winter Is Coming, a new multiplayer browser game that puts players in the thick of the action. It might have the most obvious title possible, but Game of Thrones Winter Is Coming gives fans an important role and a huge task: becoming either a lord or lady in Westeros, scheming against and slaying your enemies, and seizing the Seven Kingdoms' coveted metal chair. So, basically, stepping into the standard GoT world and doing what all of your favourite characters have been doing for years. Unlike Jon Snow, you'll know that much at least. Now available to play, it all kicks off after the death of Eddard Stark, aka the moment that had every TV fan hooked. Your character will take his place among Westeros' upper echelons, train an army, recruit followers and endeavour to remain victorious (and keep your head, obviously). And, because the game is a collaboration with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment under license from HBO, expect plenty of other iconic GoT figures to pop up. Expect to virtually roam around the Seven Kingdoms as well, which has been recreated complete with major landmarks and castles from the show. You'll also be able to relive some of the series' iconic moments, just in computer game form. Played online in your browser, it's really your latest excuse to never leave the world created by George RR Martin, even if the hugely successful TV show based on his books is about to leave our lives. Or, think of it another way — it's a way to pass the time until Martin finally finishes the sixth instalment in the printed franchise, the long-awaited The Winds of Winter. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gon69yQTx9M Game of Thrones Winter Is Coming is available to play online now. Image: Game of Thrones season 8. Helen Sloan/HBO.
First hitting Australian cinemas back in 2015, Girlhood was one of the year's landmark films, taking viewers into the coming-of-age exploits of a group of friends living on the outskirts of Paris. Written and directed by Céline Sciamma, the French drama follows 16-year-old Marieme (Karidja Touré) as she struggles at home, dreams of something more, joins a girl gang and navigates the reality of life on the margins. From Sciamma's vivid and empathetic style, to the standout performances from the largely untrained cast, to the stellar use of Rihanna's 'Diamonds', the award-winning movie isn't easily forgotten. The folks at the Melbourne International Film Festival clearly haven't stopped thinking about it, either. In fact, the fest has added it to this year's MIFF lineup, and it's doing something special to mark the occasion. As part of the Hear My Eyes series that's been on the event's agenda since 2017, Girlhood will screen at the at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, August 3 — with Sampa The Great performing a live score as the movie plays. Cinephiles won't just be treated to a rare chance to revisit the film on the big screen, but will hear Sampa's take on Jean-Baptiste de Laubier's original soundtrack. How to you improve one of the decade's great flicks about female friendship and empowerment? By adding a new, unique blend of neo-soul, hip-hop and spoken word poetry that you'll never get to experience again. If you caught Sampa's live performances in support of Kendrick Lamar, Lauryn Hill, Thundercat and Joey Bada$$, you'll be doubly excited.
A music documentary with a glossy sheen and a warm heart, 20 Feet From Stardom tells the stories of some of popular music's most accomplished backup singers, including those who have shared the stage with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. While names like Darlene Love, Lynn Maybry and Merry Clayton may be almost completely unknown, classic soul, pop and girl group songs from 'Walk On The Wild Side' to 'Da Doo Ron Ron' and 'Gimme Shelter' would have been infinitely lesser without them. Possessed with the ability to perform vocal pyrotechnics which would blitz most Idol contestants, many of these backup singers yearn for their own moment in the spotlight, but as Springsteen observes "that walk to the front (of stage) is a difficult one". Though their ambitions of breaking out of the shadows of stardom were often frustrated by the whims of a notoriously fickle industry, the selfless contributions they made were immense and their stories are rarely less than compelling. Though primarily an upbeat affair, Morgan Neville's film is unafraid of tackling more emotionally complex terrain as he covers the backstory of Phil Spector's monstrous exploitation of backing singers and the politics around Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Sweet Home Alabama', which featured African-American backing singer Merry Clayton contributing to a track intended as a rebuttal to Neil Young's anti-racist 'Southern Man'. There's also a note of lament for the perceived declining importance of backup singers, as technology evolves to make their prodigious vocal talents a luxury when Auto-Tune and studio wizardry can produce the same result. As well as collating priceless archival footage performances of the film's stars with the likes of The Talking Heads, Paul Simon and Elton John, the documentary has corralled some of its subjects together for some perfectly shot performances of some of their greatest works. Although it has been decades since their prime in some cases, their voices are as sweet as ever, and when they join forces to belt out the evergreen 'Lean On Me', the results are simply spine-chilling. Neville's ambitions of pushing these overlooked but hugely talented musicians into the full blare of the spotlight is beautifully realised. https://youtube.com/watch?v=tWyUJcA8Zfo
In Nude Tuesday, you can take the unhappy couple out of their daily routine — and slip them out of their clothes in the process — but escaping to a mountainside commune, ditching the dacks, palling around with a goat and gleaning relationship advice from the author a book called The Toothy Vulva just can't solve all woes. What that list of absurd plot points and experiences can do is fill out a film that's gleefully silly, often side-splittingly funny, and also just as perceptive as it is playful. The basic premise behind this New Zealand sex comedy borrows from plenty of fellow movies and TV shows about stuck-in-a-rut folks seeking bliss and renewal, plus solutions to bland marriages, with a gorgeous change of scenery. But helping make Nude Tuesday such a winner is every offbeat choice that's used to tell that tale. Getting naked is only part of it, given that not a lick of any recognisable language is spoken throughout the entire feature — although plenty of words and sounds are audibly uttered. Nude Tuesday understands one key point, as everyone watching it will: that relationships are all about communication. The film is also well aware that so much about life is, too — and storytelling. Here, though, expressing emotions, connections and narrative details all boils down to gibberish and bodies. This amusing movie from writer/director Armağan Ballantyne (The Strength of Water) and writer/star Jackie van Beek (The Breaker Upperers) does indeed strip down its performers in its last third, living up to its name, but it saddles them with conveying almost everything about their characters via body language before that. Each piece of dialogue spoken echoes in unintelligible nonsense, using completely made-up and wholly improvised terms. Even covers of 'Road to Nowhere' and 'Islands in the Stream' do as well. And while subtitled in English by British comedian Julia Davis (Camping), that text was penned after shooting, in one of the film's other purposefully farcical twists. The result is patently ridiculous, and marvellously so — and hilariously. It's such a clever touch, making a movie about marital disharmony and the communication breakdown baked within that's so reliant upon reading tone and posture, as couples on the prowl for the tiniest of micro-aggressions frequently hone in on. Initially, the feature needs a few scenes to settle into its unfamiliar vernacular, which takes cues from The Muppets' Swedish Chef in its cadence. Via an opening map, which situates the story on the fictional pacific island of Zǿbftąņ, Nude Tuesday's language also resembles an IKEA catalogue. But once Ballantyne, van Beek and the latter's co-stars find their groove — with a literally bloody attempt to make adult nappies sexy, a supermarket tantrum involving tossed cans and a tense anniversary dinner — everything, including the movie's chosen tongue, clicks into place. Van Beek and Australian The Tourist actor Damon Herriman play Nude Tuesday's central pair, Laura and Bruno. In the first but not last example of just how compellingly they use their physicality, the talented lead twosome paints a picture of relatable malaise from their introductory moments together. Laura and Bruno are bogged down in a dull cycle that revolves around working at jobs neither loves — she spruiks those mature-age diapers, he sells bathroom fixtures — then trudging home exhausted and exasperated to deal with their kids, and later crumbling into bed knowing they're going to repeat it all the next day. Sex doesn't factor in, and neither is content with that, but resolving their troubles themselves is out of reach. Then, they're gifted a getaway to ẄØnÐĘULÄ to assist. But this woodland getaway, run by charismatic and lustful sex guru Bjorg Rassmussen (Jemaine Clement, I Used to Go Here), wants its new guests to expose all in multiple ways. Unfurling among gorgeously lensed New Zealand scenery (with Australian Babyteeth and High Ground cinematographer Andrew Commis behind the camera), that starkers setup keeps proving savvy. It also keeps saying plenty beyond the silliness. Nude Tuesday isn't just absurdity for the sake of it, although it'd remain perfectly and thoroughly enjoyable — if slight — if it was simply that. Evoking laughs still comes fast and easily, of course, including getting giggling about coming too fast and too easily. Davis' witty subtitling fires off gags a minute, and the frequent preposterousness of it all — with orgies, drugs, a Twin Peaks-style love of logs and a penchant for ponchos all factoring in — is constantly entertaining. But there's as much heart and smarts throbbing within Nude Tuesday as there was in van Beek's also-great The Breaker Upperers, which similarly found a nifty balance between chuckle-inducing ridiculousness and insight. Here, there are as many observant layers to Nude Tuesday's dance through married misery as there are clothes shed by its cast, too — a list of performers that spans everyone from Black Comedy's Ian Zaro and Down Under's Chris Bunton to Wellington Paranormal's Karen O'Leary and Shortland Street's Yvette Parsons. Accordingly, amid the sight gags, word play, slapstick, jokes about anatomy, plus the other wonderful lashings of ludicrousness, sits a canny undressing of Laura and Bruno's deep-seated struggle to get emotionally bare-assed. At the outset, they're the strait-laced stiffs amid the unburdened and aroused. They're outsiders in this cosy, free-thinking little community of fellow A-frame cabin-dwellers, adding to the film's familiar elements. Unpacking what that means, why, how the couple became that way and what ẄØnÐĘULÄ can gift them is never a by-the-numbers journey, however. It's revelatory several times over, even if the end destination is also hardly surprising. Whether decked out head to toe or disrobing, it'd be tough to find a situation where Van Beek, Herriman and Clement didn't delight, particularly when bouncing off of each other in an anything-goes situation. Nude Tuesday's biggest names are that adaptable, that innately comedic, and that able to smoothly zip between the off-kilter and the astute. Clement doesn't have to plumb many depths, but he always plays Bjorn with the exact right dash of charm and eccentricity. Actually, Ballantyne's film itself achieves that latter feat — while finding ample emotional nooks and crannies to explore. Nude Tuesday mightn't have quite hit the spot if it had played out in English, but not because it relies upon gimmickry; rather, by peeling away the chatter, it's a sharper, savvier and funnier picture of communication struggles, and what it truly means to bare it all.
In 2018, at a time that now seems far longer ago than a mere two years, Melbourne was named the live music capital of the world. The lofty title was based on a venue-to-resident ratio that trumped every other city on the planet — but, with 2020 seeing Melbourne locked down twice under strict conditions, that famed music scene has been struggling. To help live music venues and workers in the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Victorian Government has today, Sunday, September 20, announced a series of grants to support the industry. In total, more than $13 million will be spent to help venues survive, to support jobs and to assist venues with implementing COVID safe measures for when they are able to reopen — which is listed in the last step of the state's roadmap for easing current restrictions, before the implementation of 'COVID normal'. As revealed by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley, 106 venues will receive grants from an allocation of $9 million in the first round of the Victorian Live Music Venues program. Opening for applications back in July, it's targeted at venues with capacities of 50–1200 "that have a solid reputation for presenting original live music". Among the initial batch of recipients, who'll each receive their full funding request of up to $130,000, are the Northcote Social Club, Loop in the CBD, Richmond's Corner Hotel, Collingwood's Grace Darling and Footscray's The Night Heron. Regionally, Queenscliff's Blues Train, Castlemaine's Theatre Royal, San Remo's Westernport Hotel, the Hotel Warrnambool and the Wool Exchange in Geelong will also score funds. And, the second tranche's recipients are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. [caption id="attachment_679501" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The Corner Hotel[/caption] The government has specified that the grants need to be used by venues to pay urgent overheads (such as rent, insurance and utilities), cover artist fees, get professional business advice to plan ahead, undertake marketing, pay and train staff (where this isn't covered under the Federal Government JobKeeper program) and undertake minor venue modifications that don't require a building permit. The grants can also be used to prepare for reopening and help offset costs that'll be associated with enforcing density quotas and patron caps — which are a requirement in the last step in Melbourne's reopening roadmap. When the state progresses to 'COVID normal', which will only happen when there are no new cases in Victoria for 28 days, no active cases state-wide, and no outbreaks of concern in other states and territories, those caps will be lifted. In addition to the $9 million first tranche in the Victorian Live Music Venues program, the government announced a $3 million one-off Victorian Music Industry Recovery program. Opening for applications on Monday, September 21, it'll provide payments of between $4000–$50,000 to support artists, managers, promoters, bookers, road crew and other workers to keep creating music, undertake professional and business training, and develop safe ways of working during the pandemic — with separate streams for First Peoples applicants, people with disability, creating new work, and professional and business development. And, $1.2 million has also been earmarked for ten music organisations and bodies, to assist them with delivering professional and business development programs to the state's music industry professionals. Recipients include youth-led label and training program Push Records, CrewCare's wellbeing training and mentorship program for roadies and live music events professionals, and Songlines Aboriginal Music Corporation's creative development program for First Peoples musicians and industry workers. To find out more about the Victorian Live Music Venues program, visit the Creative Victoria website. More details about the Victorian Music Industry Recovery program can also be found on the Creative Victoria website. Top image: Northcote Social Club via Visit Victoria/Josie Withers.
Have you ever thought back longingly at '80s and '90s VHS classics that you thought you might never watch again, because who the heck still has a VCR? Fear not film nerds, we have just the screening event you have been looking for. Now in its second season Deja-View Cinema is out to prove that sometimes, the sequel is better than the original. This season brings some brilliant second offerings (think Terminator 2, Gremlins 2, etc) but also some cult classics all shown in HD. To add to the experience of watching VHS, there will also be original film trailers and pre-film entertainment. We're not sure what that will entail, but we're certainly intrigued. The John Candybar will have you covered for American sweet treats during the film, as well as handmade themed choc-tops. If you’re craving a dose of nostalgia and a fun night in, this could be the ticket. This week isn’t a sequel, but it certainly takes two to tango, with The Man with Two Brains. Steve Martin stars as Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr, a brain surgeon who’s a little insane in the brain himself. He has fallen in love with a brain in a jar he communicates with telepathically; all he needs now is a body to put it in. If Donovan’s Brain, Bride of Frankenstein, or even Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein floats your boat, you’d better strap in for this wild ride. Bar is open from 7pm and the film starts at 8.30pm, so get in early for a beverage and prime position.
