Since 2014, the staff behind Ripponlea boutique Camelia have been dedicated to providing customers with a luxury place to shop for the best brands from Australia and around the world. The team aims to deliver high quality customer service to help everyone who walks through the doors find their new favourite outfit. Pick up your dream dress by Alexandra Calafeteanu or Elliatt, and pair it with boots from United Nude, an Amber Sceats necklace, an Italian leather handbag by Dylan Kain and sunglasses from Gold Coast-based boutique label Vieux.
Fitzroy's Transformer has already carved out quite the reputation thanks to its plant-based menu; however the Rose Street restaurant isn't done tempting tastebuds yet. Ticking off two of the golden rules of eating — one, that everyone loves multiple courses; two, that culinary curiosity always wins out — they're hosting a Flavours of Korea vegetarian degustation dinner. Four courses of the kinds of pickled and fermented dishes you won't usually find on offer, coming up. On August 22, patrons can sit down to smoked tofu with cabbage, watermelon radish, chrysanthemum greens and sesame; and then follow it up with pine nuts, fragrant rice, shitake, smoked egg yolk, nashi pear and toasted yuba — and they'll only be halfway through their meal.Lotus gochujang with black rice cakes and grilled cucumber helps round out the menu, alongside pecan brioche pancakes with honey, persimmon, koji and black sesame, as well as sides ranging from kolhrabi water kimchi to truffled sweet potato noodles. Bookings will be taken for every half hour between 6pm and 8.30pm, with two price points available. Opt for the food-only feast for $75 per person, or add matched wines for $110. Whichever one you choose, your stomach wins.
The Local Taphouse in St Kilda is getting its Americana on, playing host to the annual Star Spangled American SpecTAPular on Saturday, July 8. It's a toned down, US version of GABS, with everything from the tap list and food to the decor and live entertainment hailing from the States. They've sourced some 20 American brews from the country's top craft breweries, with big names including AleSmith Brewery, Almanac Beer Co, Stone Brewing, Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues Brewery, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Deschutes Brewery, Prairie Artisan Ales, Knee Deep Brewing Company, Anderson Valley Brewing Company and Victory Beer. That's one tasty, tasty list right there and one not to be missed one by beer lovers. The American food menu will include barbecue pork ribs, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and southern fried chicken, with mac 'n' cheese and corn bread for sides and baked cheesecake for dessert. Dress up is also highly encouraged, with prizes for best dressed. The party will be rocking from noon to 1am, with a gold coin donation on the door will go to St Kilda Mums.
It's such a simple thing, putting pencil to paper and finding yourself in another world. With a few flicks of the hand, a page can conjure up all of your wildest dreams, lay bare the deepest worries lurking in your subconscious, or even combine the two. Exploring that experience in a published novel and then a feature film isn't quite as simple, but in A Monster Calls, the end result remains every bit as insightful and cathartic. If you were to mash together the bedtime story from The Princess Bride, the stunning gothic images from Pan's Labyrinth, the oversized non-human pal from Pete's Dragon, and the quest to conquer childhood fears from Labyrinth, you'd almost end up with A Monster Calls – although the key word there, of course, is 'almost'. Adapted by director J.A. Bayona (The Impossible) from Patrick Ness' book, the film might ostensibly follow in the footsteps of plenty of other coming-of-age adventures and sensitive adolescent journeys. Yet its heartfelt awareness of the difficulties of tussling with life's complexities remain wholly its own. Here, things couldn't seem bleaker for British schoolboy Conor O'Malley (Lewis MacDougall). His beloved mother (Felicity Jones) is dying from cancer, his father (Toby Kebbell) has a new family in America, and he's far from fond of the strict grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) he's told he'll eventually have to live with. Trying to put on a brave face at home but mercifully bullied in class, sketching provides Conor much-needed coping mechanism, as well as a way of remaining close to his art-loving mum. Then his scribblings and his nightmares combine, with a monstrous tree (voiced by Liam Neeson) coming to life to tell him three tales, while also demanding to hear one in return. Further tying Conor's drawings and dreams together, Bayona brings the latter to the screen in a series of gorgeously animated sequences, with inky scrawled heroes and villains cavorting through vibrant watercolour backgrounds. If you're going to adapt a book about vivid imaginings in times of personal trouble, then your movie has to look the part, after all. Indeed, as a literal visual illustration of the power of creativity to help process life's woes, A Monster Calls excels. But it's not just the images that Bayona gets right — it's the emotions as well. Alongside Ness' winning work turning his own novel into a script, that largely comes down to the performances. Jones is raw yet subtle, while MacDougall's sorrow is positively palpable. And don't underestimate the impact of Neeson's gravelly tones. There's something so sincere and affecting about the way the Irish actor imparts the tough but true wisdom at the movie's core. While we might better know him these days for his hard-as-nails characters in films like Taken and The Grey, he's just as perfect as the beating dark heart of this tender and touching fable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPh9mr-ZGOY
The University of Melbourne's North Court is set to transform into a marketplace of fresh food this July for the event Think.Eat.Save, with visitors to the location receiving a free lunch of soups and toasties by chef Matt Wilkinson of Pope Joan. OzHarvest and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) are teaming up for the event with the aim of not only filling the hungry stomachs of chilly Sydneysiders, but also to raise awareness of the global problem of food waste. The chef will be on-hand from 11.30am till 2pm alongside sustainable chef Joost Bakker. With four million tonnes of food wasted in Australia each year, the path to change starts with the fridge of every Australian. A recent study revealed that Melburnians waste nearly a million tonnes of edible food every year, of which fresh fruit, vegetables and dairy are among the main foods tossed (and, arguably, the easiest to save). While you eat your free celebrity chef-cooked lunch — and taste a range of free food samples — you'll be able to pick up some of their tips for preventing food waste. You'll be making master stock with your veggie scraps in no time. Image: Cole Bennetts for OzHarvest.
Strangers on a Train meets Sliding Doors meets Brick meets True Romance. If that sounds like quite a lot to squeeze into one package, hold on, because writer-director Christopher Smith is just getting started. Detour is the kind of movie that openly nods and winks to its many influences, made by the type of filmmaker that wants audiences to know that he's shouting about his references on purpose. Smith even goes so far as to have one of his characters watch part of a1945 film noir with the same title as the movie they're in. When a filmmaker nods so eagerly at his or her sources of inspiration, one of two things tends to happen. Ideally, they shape those influences into an engaging new package that builds upon familiar parts. More often, they end up being overshadowed by the better filmmakers whose movies they keep reminding you you could be watching instead. Aiming for the former but delivering the latter, Detour proves a feature more concerned with showing viewers what it's doing than actually doing it well. Smith certainly knows and loves the films that he's homaging, but making that plain isn't the same as making an entertaining crime thriller in their image. That the movie's protagonist not only shares his name with a 1966 Paul Newman movie, but has a poster of the film on his bedroom wall, says plenty. So does the fact that audiences first meet Los Angeles law student Harper (Tye Sheridan) as he's listening to a lecture about the escape tactics of pursued criminals. Throw in a grudge against the stepfather (Stephen Moyer) he blames for his mother's comatose state, a chance bar meeting with local thug Johnny Ray (Emory Cohen), and a stripper with a heart of gold named Cherry (Bel Powley), and it all starts to feel rather derivative — even when the movie's big gimmick kicks into gear. Once Harper discovers what he hired Johnny Ray to do during their drunken evening together, Detour splits its narrative into two timelines. In one, the new acquaintances make the sunny drive to Las Vegas with murder on their minds; in the other, Harper stays home, although that still ends up being quite eventful. Smith flits from one story to the other, and frequently splashes them together using slick split-screen imagery. Sadly, the device doesn't help either section shake the been-there, done-that feeling – and neither does the film's predictable destination. Smith does, at least, take a trio of impressive actors along for the ride, even if none are quite at their best. Sheridan, Cohen and Powley have all given much, much better performances in Mud, Brooklyn and The Diary of a Teenage Girl respectively, but at least they try to make their stock-standard characters seem like something more. That's not exactly high praise, but it does sum up Detour's fortunes quite perfectly. A loving attempt to tackle a familiar genre, the film does everything it can to speed into new territory. Alas, it gets lost along the way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbzZGUJ4MzE
Spring mightn't be considered comfort food season, but that won't do anything to stop Melbourne's flour fiends flocking to Collingwood Town Hall for their doughy treat fix. Come Saturday, September 10, Flour Market is hosting their latest bake sale — yes, the baked goods bonanza is back for another instalment. No matter which type of sugary oven-baked goodness takes your fancy, you're likely to find it here. There'll be doughnuts from Cobb Lane and Doughboys, cakes from Bake & Co, pies from Blackberry Belle's, chocolate creations from Mork and bagels from 5 & Dime, plus the likes of The Pie Shop, Little Bertha, Au79, Bistro Morgan, Shortstop, Butter Mafia and Candied Bakery as well. In the past, the Flour Market has drawn huge crowds lining up halfway around the block to get their mitts on some cream-filled, jam-glazed, artisan patisserie, so we recommend getting there early. If you prefer your pastries guaranteed, you can buy an Early Riser entry ticket from September 6. Check their Facebook page for more details as they announce them.
Whenever Tom Cruise appears on screen, he's playing a part. But he's usually also playing Tom Cruise. Nearly four decades into his megawatt smile-flashing career, there's no mistaking the superstar's recognisable film persona, whether he's feeling the need for speed in Top Gun or living, dying and repeating in Edge of Tomorrow. It's a role he inhabits with charm and ease, as American Made is well aware. Though he's ostensibly taking on the guise of a pilot turned CIA operative turned narcotics smuggler, this based-on-a-true-tale drama is all about showcasing Cruise's well-known talents. That means aviator sunnies, flying high and oozing charisma all over anyone he can. It also means a cruisy (pun intended) vibe when he's stepping into criminal territory, skirting the law, transporting drugs and buddying up to Pablo Escobar's cronies. The '70s and '80s-set story may seem larger than life, but ultimately viewers know what they're getting, energetic central performance and all. If fighting the undead in The Mummy seemed like a bit of a departure for the A-lister, American Made is a beaming, smooth-talking return to familiar territory. Starting in 1978, Cruise plays Barry Seal. He's a run-of-the-mill commercial airline captain until his illegal cigar-ferrying antics catch the attention of CIA agent Monty Schafer (Domhnall Gleeson). Quicker than you can say "show me the way to avoid jail time", Seal agrees to quit his job, become a government consultant and take clandestine aerial surveillance photos in South America. While he's down there, he's also asked to deliver cash and trade arms by the agency — and bring back cocaine by the now-infamous Medellín cartel. It all goes well until it doesn't, as tends to be the case with these kinds of capers. And yet, even after he's caught by the Colombian authorities, forced to fill his wife (Sarah Wright) in about his new gig, and made to relocate his family to a small town in Arkansas, Seal keeps trying to work both sides to turn a profit. "Shit gets really crazy from here," Seal tells the camera at one point, as he recounts his life story down the barrel of an '80s camcorder. And he's right. Re-teaming with Cruise after the aforementioned Edge of Tomorrow, there's no shortage of wild antics for director Doug Liman to thrust onto the screen. In fact, there's almost too many, as the film morphs into an enjoyable but somewhat repetitive mix of Blow, Goodfellas and American Hustle. For what it's worth, that applies not only to the feature's jam-packed narrative, but also to its wavering tone. Call it the Cruise effect. Although Seal clearly isn't the greatest of guys, he's portrayed as a loveable rogue because that suits the movie's star. Call it the Hollywood effect as well, with flicks about affable law-breakers an eternal cinema staple — think War Dogs and The Wolf of Wall Street, just to name a few recent examples. American Made wants viewers to warm to its antihero and laugh at his endeavours, while also laying out the real and serious consequences of his actions. Unfortunately, it doesn't always get the balance right. Still, sunny cinematography, zippy pacing, an era-specific soundtrack and Cruise being Cruise all guarantee you'll be largely entertained regardless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lolbJquVPWU
St Kilda's Pontoon raged its way into 2018 with a packed-out shindig starring The Avalanches. Now, the venue has announced its second major Summer Sounds event for the year. This day party will feature Melbourne-based acts Cut Copy and Total Giovanni, both in DJ mode, with support from Edd Fisher, Pjenne, Kate Miller and Nile Delta. Electronica band Cut Copy broke through in 2008 with sophomore album In Ghost Colours and, in 2014, toured the Americas, Europe and Russia on the back of fourth album Free Your Mind. Meanwhile, five-piece Total Giovanni has been releasing its polyrhythmic, boogie-meets-disco-meets house tracks via local label Two Bright Lakes and bringing high-energy shows to a bunch of festivals and clubs Australia-over. The music will kick off at midday and go on late into the night. The annual pride march is taking place on the same day, so gear up for a big party. To keep you fuelled, Pontoon's eight-metre grill will be on the go, serving up snacks and share plates, and you'll find 16 beers on tap at the bar.
Stretch out your work stresses, or sip them away? It's an age-old problem, and one hardly helped by the fact that both make you feel great. Doing one and then the other is certainly a solution — but doing both at the same time is better. Behold: beer yoga. At midday and 1pm on August 30 and 31, Midtown Melbourne is getting in on the blissful boozing trend (or, finding a way to make drinking even more delightful, you could argue). Whether you're a yoga fanatic who also likes a tipple or vice versa, you won't find a better way to indulge your two loves, or clear your mind. Participation is free, includes a brew and is certain to brighten up your lunchtime. Reserving a spot in advance is recommended, partially because it's bound to be popular, and partially because your future self will thank you. Sure, you mightn't think you need this at the beginning of the week, but as it comes to a close, you know you will.
11 years after the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore is back and more powerful than we could have possibly imagined. Well, no actually. The content of An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power still packs a punch, and as far as composition goes it's a stunner. At the same time, we can't help but feel that after a decade of discussion surrounding climate change, the potency of Gore's central message has been somewhat diluted. Think of it this way: if An Inconvenient Truth was a diagnosis, An Inconvenient Sequel is a check-up. The outlook is still grim, as Gore illustrates with evidence from around the world – melting ice sheets in Greenland, devastating weather events across South-East Asia, flooding in the streets of Miami. But the effect isn't quite as shocking as in the original, although this may be a comment on society's apathy rather than the content of the documentary itself. Naturally, this follow-up has a decidedly political bent. Shot and edited in 2016, the film captures a snapshot of the international atmosphere in the lead up the US election, and there's an extra layer of tragedy that comes watching from the other side. While the original movie battled against the widespread ignorance of climate change, the antagonist in the sequel is the political machinations that prevent a real and widespread response to the threat. And the looming spectre of Donald Trump is the perfect embodiment of this theme. The most compelling part of the doco is the intimate glimpse it gives at the workings at the UNFCCC Paris Climate Change Conference. It was a tumultuous time politically, with a terrorist attack in the French capital having claimed the lives of more than 130 people just days before. But the most interesting element is the negotiations between signatories. Gore, it would seem, played an integral role in helping the united countries reach a voluntary agreement, and the behind-the-scenes look at the negotiations are fascinating – if rather heavily edited. Admittedly, the film does feel a bit heavy on Gore – there are some rambling asides about his political come-up and education programs that stretch a little too long. Viewers may also feel a little worn down by the grim subject matter, although at least the movie finishes on a somewhat positive note. The call to action in the dying minutes of An Inconvenient Sequel – to speak up, to protest, and to be heard to enable change – is a vitally important one. That's true now more than ever before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huX1bmfdkyA
For a genre that's obsessed with killing people off, horror certainly likes to bring things back to life. That applies to dearly departed children and their favourite dolls, and also to series' and spinoffs that would perhaps have been better left alone. All of the above combines in Annabelle: Creation, a prequel to the first offshoot from The Conjuring films, and an exercise in formulaic franchise-building. Alas, a house full of orphaned girls aren't the only victims here. Jumping back to the beginning of the unsettling toy's tale, this instalment also introduces its flesh-and-blood namesake. Nicknamed Bee, the seven-year-old daughter (Samara Lee) of Esther and Samuel Mullins (Aussie actors Miranda Otto and Anthony LaPaglia) is rather fond of her inanimate best friend, a bond that seems to linger even after tragedy strikes. When a parentless group of youngsters — including the polio-stricken Janice (Talitha Bateman), her close pal Linda (Lulu Wilson) and young nun Sister Charlotte (Stephanie Sigman) — are taken in by the still-grieving couple 12 years later, they come to discover just what that means. Needless to say, it involves a certain possessed plaything. Arriving in 2014 in an eager bid to cash in on The Conjuring's success, the initial Annabelle film was a bland affair — and while this second effort improves on its predecessor, that's not saying much. Aware that the standard stalk-and-kill story didn't work the last time around, Lights Out director David F. Sandberg and returning writer Gary Dauberman instead decide that imitation is the best form of flattery and the best approach to the series as a whole, returning to the kids in a creepy home motif that made the main films in the franchise a hit. Had The Conjuring 2 not already been released, this could have stolen its title. Secret rooms taunt curious minds; things go bump in the night; and sinister happenings start spooking everyone in the house. The film's narrative is as routine as expected, and doesn't ever pretend otherwise — with more titles in the series already greenlit, Annabelle: Creation doesn't really need to do anything more than just exist. It's the episodic approach to movie-making that's largely designed to keep the franchise in viewers' minds until the next chapter rolls around. Think of it like TV: every hour of a show isn't going to be a winner, but the powers-that-be know that doesn't matter as long as audiences stay primed for the next one. As calculated and template-driven as Annabelle: Creation may be, the film does have one saving grace: Sandberg. Making his second Hollywood horror movie in two years, the director repeats his Lights Out fortunes, vastly improving a surprise-free plot through his mastery of mood and imagery. He knows how to make unnerving moments count through both patience and quick scares — and how to cultivate a convincing atmosphere of dread and unease with camera placement and lighting choices. Every obvious development, silly character choice and by-the-book performance works against him, but if Annabelle: Creation does one thing, it's make a case for Sandberg to be given much, much better material to work with. Let's just hope he leaves this particular franchise in his rear-view mirror. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPTogn2E3CI
It was true 20 years ago and it's still true today: if you're going to take a bright, bold and utterly outlandish trip into a futuristic vision of space, you really want to take it with Luc Besson. Two decades after the French filmmaker rode a multi-pass to sci-fi space opera infamy with The Fifth Element, he's back doing what he does best. And while Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets can't quite match its cult classic predecessor, it has a vivid, energetic and involving time trying to do so. This isn't just a case of same director, same tricks, however. While there's much that looks and feels familiar about this account of intergalactic cops on an interstellar adventure, Besson is adapting one of his strongest sources of inspiration rather than simply reliving past glories. That'd be '60s French-Belgian comic Valérian et Laureline, which the writer-director first discovered as a kid, and which clearly left an imprint on his aesthetic. It also reportedly influenced the original Star Wars, though George Lucas' flicks didn't feature Rihanna as an enslaved blue blob who shape-shifts while singing and pole-dancing. More's the pity. As great as a film about the scene-stealing pop star would be, she's not the main point of focus. Instead, the decidedly human Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and his partner-in-crime Laureline (Cara Delevingne) take centre stage. He's laid-back (but still law-abiding), while she's a feistily determined risk-taker. It's the 28th century, and they're enjoying a simulated stint at the beach while they hurtle towards their next mission. But Valerian's virtual sun and sand is interrupted by a vision of a similarly scenic planet in peril. When the duo is charged with recovering a highly coveted converter that can replicate any substance en masse, they discover the link between Valerian's dream, the task at hand, and the fact that colossal space station Alpha — a meeting place for all of the galaxy's inhabitants — is under threat from unknown enemies. With Clive Owen's megalomaniacal military chief, Ethan Hawke's slimy pimp, and a vast array of extra-terrestrial lifeforms all part of the action — to say nothing of inter-dimensional shopping, psychic jellyfish, genocide, government conspiracies and repeated marriage proposals — any description of Valerian's plot is going to sound over-the-top. And for the most part, that's how it plays out on screen. That said, just as this is a story about breaking the rules in the name of peace, love and understanding, Besson shows that he too is willing to break with convention behind the camera. "Style over substance" is the usual cry when a film pairs eye-popping visuals with a scant or silly plot. But Besson wears the label like a badge of honour, gleefully demonstrating that a barely convincing narrative and nearly two hours of sci-fi spectacle can still entertain. Of course, that's often the space opera's lot. Dune, John Carter, Jupiter Ascending — they've all been there and done that in engaging (albeit divisive) fashion. It's also a genre of film that's often more concerned with appearance and atmosphere than performance, though DeHaan does a great early '90s Keanu impression (whether knowingly or not), and Delevingne proves a beguiling presence, constantly rolling her eyes. Ultimately, they're like the people you meet on holiday. You won't mind spending time with them, but you're more interested in just taking in the sights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wbN9fPU_u0
Fancy Hanks has long been one of Melbourne's top destinations when it comes to old-school American-style barbecue. But if you think that's the only string to their bow, then prepare to be pleasantly surprised. After a sold-out July pop-up, Majestic Hawker will take over Abbotsford's Bodriggy Brewery with Singaporean nosh for three nights in August. Featuring new dishes as well as some from last time round, we're hoping to see the soy-marinated chicken wings with chilli vinegar, sambal stingray served in banana leaf and fried banana fritters with pandan coconut ice-cream return. Turns out Americans aren't the only ones who know their way around a charcoal grill. Fittingly, the chef in charge of the pop-up is none other than Alicia Cheong, who previously ran Hank's kitchen when they were based at The Mercat Cross Hotel. Cheong is back in Melbourne after a year-long stint at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Par Andre in her native Singapore. Tickets to the August pop-up will remain extremely well-priced at $30 for three dishes or $50 with drinks — both beers and cocktails — included. Tickets to the 7pm sitting have already sold out, and places at the additional 6pm sitting are expected to do the same. Images: Eugene Hyland.
If there was ever any doubt that breakfast is the best meal of the day, just consider the foods on offer. Whether you're an eggs and bacon, smashed avo on toast, stack of pancakes or humble cereal fiend, these first-up meals all have one thing in common: you'd like to eat them morning, noon and night — and, you have. Over the weekend of August 11 to 13, you can devour definitely your favourite early morning nosh for lunch and dinner at The Food Truck Park. In fact, the Preston meals-on-wheels hub isn't serving anything else. For three days only — and for the first time, too — Melbourne's finest mobile eateries will only be whipping up breakfast and brunch fare. Yep, it's a Big Breakfast Festival all right. Given the menu, you'd best show up with a big appetite to match. There'll be from bacon sandwiches, falafel hot dogs and gooey, cheesy toasties, plus French toast, scrolls and pastries, and waffles. Or, grab some bircher muesli, an acai bowl and avo fries — or brekkie burgers, chilli beef gozleme and Punjabi paneer masala. With the fest open from 5pm to 10pm on Friday, 12pm to 10pm on Saturday and 12pm to 9pm on Sunday, going back more than once is understandable.
We all have someone we'd love to go back in time to thank for inventing something we love, and whoever came up with bottomless brunches has to be one of them. Given that Sunday mornings are made for eating, drinking and being merry, doing so with an endless supply of tipples is a treat worth celebrating. At Richmond's Fargo and Co, you can't show your appreciation for the clever person behind the original idea. But, you can do the next best thing, aka enjoy the concept in action. Every Sunday from 11am until 2pm, three things are on the menu: unlimited mimosas, just as free-flowing Prosecco and the chef's brunch selection. It's the kind of weekend session worth rolling out of bed early for, and it'll set you back a reasonable $50 per person. In fact, having a quiet Saturday night to prepare for this cruisy Sunday get-together is perfectly understandable. Updated: March 29, 2018.
As part of the 2017 Season of the Arts, Open House is popping up in Ballarat. Over the weekend of October 28 and 29, Ballarat will open the doors to some of its most significant structures so the public can have a little sticky beak. The list of buildings and events on the agenda has yet to be announced, but keep an ear out for an announcement in September. It's an exciting event for many reasons, the first and foremost being that the more Open House weekends we get, the better. Secondly, it's the first time Open House Melbourne has partnered regionally, so we're thinking there must be gold behind all those closed doors in Ballarat. While we don't have specifics yet, we do know they'll be opening most private contemporary homes and significant commercial and civic buildings, creating the blend of experiences that Open House Melbourne is renowned for. Images: Simon Shiff.
What's better than one annual showcase of French movies? Two, of course. Not content with giving Aussie audiences the best in Gallic cinema once a year for nearly three decades — and building the biggest festival of French films outside of France, too — the folks behind the Alliance Française French Film Festival began doubling their efforts. After launching the Alliance Française Classic Film Festival in 2015, it's back for another retro cinema showcase. In fantastic news for anyone who likes diving into the great flicks of times gone by, the fest will once again shine a light on a heap of old favourites. It's the third time the fest has done so, heading Melbourne's Astor Theatre from October 12 to 15 (and Sydney, Canberra and Perth from August through to October too) with a six-film tribute to French star Jean-Paul Belmondo. Alongside everyone from Emmanuelle Riva to Anna Karina to Gerard Depardieu — and under the direction of filmmakers such as Jean-Pierre Melville, Jean-Luc Godard and Alain Resnais — Belmondo will blaze up the big screen in globe-trotting treasure hunts (That Man From Rio), crime thrillers (Stavisky and Doulos: the Finger Man), romantic dramas (Pierrot le Fou) and more. Many screen in gloriously restored versions, including war drama Weekend at Dunkirk (no, not the Christopher Nolan one).
"Today is a good day to die," announced Kiefer Sutherland in Flatliners circa 1990. The film's opening line was moody and cheesy all at once, and set the scene for the blend of sci-fi and horror to follow. Before he was battling terrorists as Jack Bauer, a blonde-locked Sutherland played a medical student convinced that he could kill himself, find out what happens next, come back to life and get famous. Even with Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon among the cast, the final product was far from memorable. Both Sutherland and that line of dialogue pop up in the new remake, the latest Hollywood rehash no one was dying for. His involvement is amusing, though not intentionally so, while the repeated phrase feels as routine and obligatory as it inescapably is. If only the entire movie had fallen into the first category, rather than the second. With director Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and writer Ben Ripley (Source Code) taking an average-at-best flick from almost 30 years ago, ditching the '90s brooding, ramping up the backstory and exposition, and throwing in some raucous party scenes because, hey, it's 2017, it was never going to be a good day for this film. This time around, Ellen Page's Courtney takes centre stage. While she says her obsession with near-death experiences is all in the name of science, an introductory car crash makes her personal motivations clear. Stressed-out classmate Sophia (Kiersey Clemons) and ladies' man Jamie (James Norton) are initially tricked into helping, but prove eager to follow in her footsteps when she returns with a better memory, a desire to knock down walls, some nifty piano playing skills and a need to bake bread. Yes, really. Ray (Diego Luna) only stumbles across the heart-stopping scheme when things go wrong, and Marlo (Nina Dobrev) literally follows him into the hospital's basement. But soon they're caught up in things as well. It's a silly premise, with the group forced to face some very obvious consequences. Dying isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when it's accompanied by haunting reminders about their various sins. Ripley's script cares not for surprises, and Oplev shows the same lack of concern for anything other than going through the motions. Even if you haven't seen the original Flatliners, if you've seen any other spooky flick that flirts with shuffling off this mortal coil, prepare yourself for a journey into been-there, done-that territory. While it's easy to decry the growing trend towards pointless remakes, Flatliners isn't terrible just because it needlessly revives a forgettable film from a bygone era. Likewise, it'd be easy to bemoan the fact that such a talented cast has been saddled with such crumby material, but wasting Page, Clemons and Luna in particular isn't the movie's main problem. None of that helps, but the killer jolt is the film's lack of energy. While its characters take a zap to the heart to step into the afterlife, Flatliners doesn't have a pulse to begin with. Flat and bland in style, plot and emotion, it's a work completely devoid of interest and scares as a result. The only thing that stands out in Luna's man-bun — and even it has nothing on Bacon's mullet in the original. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQB35rkRSM0
If you've ever been (or tried to be) vegan, you'll know there's a certain bliss that comes with having a whole smorgasbord of plant-based products at your disposal. So we expect squeals aplenty at the news that the Big Vegan Market is back, and will once again grace the sprawling interior of Carlton's Royal Exhibition Building on May 12 and 13. Kicking off at 10am on both days, the event pulls together a dizzying, all-vegan array of food, drinks, craft, beauty and fashion, with more than 200 vendors signing up to showcase their cruelty-free wares. Head in to snack on treats from the likes of Fitzroy dessert bar Girls & Boys and Vietnamese eatery The Pham Sisters, while indulging in some guilt-free retail therapy, spying sustainably-crafted threads from Velvety and animal-free wares from The Cruelty Free Shop. Given the stacks of businesses involved, they're really just a few of the goodies on offer. Jump on the Facebook page for the day's full lineup of vegan vendors. Image: Girls & Boys.
Razor sharp in wit and dress, the Barry Award-nominated Rhys Nicholson has made a name for himself as one of the country's funniest stand-up comics. His show at last year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival was an absolute highlight, tackling everything from sex to mental health in a manner that was both relatable and utterly hilarious. His follow-up is titled Seminal, and shapes up as one of the must-see sets of the fest.
They say you should start your year as you wish to continue it. So, to be sure of a seriously tasty twelve-month forecast, why not make your first meal of 2018 a decadent feast at Proof is in the Pudding? On January 1, not only will the South Yarra bakery be open and slinging a standout array of seasonal sweet treats, but it's also hosting a special New Year's Day recovery brunch — in place of its usual monthly Bakers Bench degustation event. The same $42 per head brunch will also run on Sunday, December 31, with intimate sittings available at 2.30pm on NYE and 11.30am, 1pm and 3pm the next day. No matter how stressful your 2017 turned out to be, this three-course feed is sure to make it all better, featuring sweet and savoury dishes as imagined by head baker and owner Isabelle Bach. The menu is still under wraps for now, though previous degustations have starred such drool-worthy delights as bite-sized tacos, lasagna scrolls, a feather-light honey pistachio cheesecake and the utterly addictive 'crack pie'.
The Pleasure Garden returns for its sophomore run on December 9, painting St Kilda's Catani Gardens with colour, art installations, roving performers and, of course, some huge beats. A heady mix of Rainbow Serpent, Glastonbury and every other time you've had an impromptu sweaty day dance party with your mates (costumes mandatory), the festival, though only in its second year, knows exactly what it's doing. The brainchild of organisers who've worked the festival circuit both here and overseas for years, for starters, their line-up is solid: Remi, Montaigne, Baker Boy and Fat Freddy's Drop are part of the eclectic mix. Think dub and bass with a smattering of pop. And once you've flailed around to Remi and itched in your costume for a while, there'll be plenty to revive your sweaty self; Toasta, Sparrow's Philly Cheesesteaks and Franklin's Classic American Hotdogs (plus vego options) are on the menu, so you can roam around and check out the art installations and hula hoop performers while thinking about what you want to line your tummy with. FYI, there's also a kombucha truck if you're feeling like you've overindulged and want to regain a bit of body equilibrium (we guess).
Sun, surf, sand, sex and the seaside Gold Coast suburbs in the '70s. What a combination. Swinging Safari is every bit as over-the-top and outrageous as it sounds, but if anyone was going to try and make the chaos work, it's writer-director Stephan Elliott. The man behind The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert knows how to make a splash, paying tribute to Australia and our eccentricities in a manner that's both affectionate and tongue-in-cheek. Accordingly, his latest effort is a knowing love letter to a specific era and the freewheeling way of life that came with it — one spent surrounded by rayon clothes and shag carpets, slathered in sunscreen, chowing down on buckets of KFC and guzzling cask wine. In a cul-de-sac not far from the Queensland hotspot's scenic shoreline, three families spend their days and nights hopping between backyard parties, beach picnics and any other shenanigans that come about. Over at the Hall household, encyclopaedia salesman Keith (Guy Pearce) and the booze-addled Kaye (Kylie Minogue) can't manage their marital malaise, let alone their rowdy brood of kids. Next door at the Joneses, Rick (Julian McMahon) and Jo (Radha Mitchell) think they're the leaders of the pack, with a sunken conversation pit in the middle of their lounge room to prove it. That leaves Bob and Gale Marsh (Jeremy Sims and Asher Keddie) somewhere in the middle, complete with a daughter, Bec (Chelsea Glaw), who's a hit with the local boys, and a son, Jeff (Atticus Robb), who constantly has a camera in his hands. With Elliot himself a child of the 1970s, there's no escaping Swinging Safari's partly autobiographical nature. In fact, it's an adult Jeff (voiced by Richard Roxburgh) that narrates the movie, with the aspiring filmmaker looking back on his teenage years. Unsurprisingly, his younger self sometimes struggles to cope with the mayhem around him. While making his own stunt-filled movies helps, he really has eyes for the shy Mellie Jones (Darcey Wilson). Unfortunately, their budding romance hits a snag when their parents' key-swapping antics incite a neighbourhood war. Plus there's the not-so-little matter of the 200-tonne dead whale rotting on the local beach. Elliott might be turning what he knows into a movie, but diving headfirst into nostalgic memories isn't quite the same as stringing together a great story. Swinging Safari places less focus on its narrative, and pays more attention to moments, mood, outfits and ramping up the fun. With that in mind, the adult cast members are clearly having a ball reliving their younger years (and, in the case of Pearce and Minogue, reuniting nearly 30 years after they left Ramsay Street). Their irreverence and enthusiasm is infectious, even when the jokes don't land. Of course, the film always seems more interested in pushing boundaries of comedy, taste and political correctness than it is in fleshing out its characters. If Swinging Safari teaches viewers one thing, it's that fickle entertainment and amusement were high on everyone's agenda in '70s Australia, while seriousness and subtlety most definitely were not. The result is a movie that can't stuff its frames with enough raucous one-liners, polyester jumpsuits or instances of a woman urinating on a jellyfish-stung child. When that doesn't work, the crew – many of whom date back to Priscilla – helps pick up the slack with their attention to bright, sunny period detail. Oscar-winning costume designer Lizzy Gardiner is one of them, and while it's usually not a good sign when the outfits steal the show, her outlandish creations hit the garish spot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB95v_pyQq8
How do two filmmaking siblings follow up one of the biggest Australian comedies of the 21st century? With a much bleaker slice of comic action. In the 12 years between Kenny and Brothers' Nest, Shane Jacobson hasn't been far from screens. In fact, he's graced local cinemas in the awful trio of Guardians of the Tomb, The BBQ and That's Not My Dog! just this year alone. But making another film with his brother, actor-director Clayton Jacobson, has taken much, much longer than it'd take Kenny to plumb most of the country's toilets. While Brothers' Nest is as far removed from the Jacobsons' toilet-fixing mockumentary as you can get, it's mostly worth the wait — an attempt to meld grimy psychological thrills with black comedy that doesn't break the mould, but delivers exactly what it promises. Shane and Clayton co-star as a luckless and unhappy duo intent on securing what's rightfully theirs and willing to do whatever it takes to get it, even resorting to planning the perfect murder. Their cancer-stricken mum (Lynette Curran) is dying and, to their dismay, she's just changed her will to leave everything to their stepfather Rodger (Kim Gyngell). With the family home in country Victoria on the line, no-nonsense elder sibling Jeff (Clayton Jacobson) quickly convinces his kindlier younger brother Terry (Shane Jacobson) that homicide is the only option to reclaim their inheritance. It's with a wry smile that Brothers' Nest begins with its titular pair cycling up to their childhood abode, donning orange jumpsuits and hospital booties, and starting to enact Jeff's meticulous plan. Visually, the picture is soaked in fog and grey, befitting a sombre mood — but the moment Jeff and Terry start preparing for their grisly task, humour cracks the grim facade. Indeed, Clayton Jacobson and writers Jaime Browne (The Mule) and Chris Pahlow manage a delicate balancing act for the first two-thirds of the film, milking the business of knocking off a family member, and dealing with deep-seeded woes, for both drama and laughs. Still, there comes a point where brothers' banter can't bring cheer to this tale, with their bickering — often sparked by Jeff's pedantic determination to stick to his detailed to-do list — only going so far as the movie veers into more tragic territory. That said, much of the film's success stems from the Jacobsons' performances, with the pair pretending to be other, more desperate siblings. Fleshing out a fraught picture of brotherly love in the process, it's clearly not a case of art imitating life, but the authentic connection between their characters runs deeper than if the actors weren't related. For Shane, as the unsurprisingly more affable of the two, it's a more interesting and challenging big-screen role than he's had in some time, although his 'loveable larrikin' public persona softens Terry's quiet sadness. For Clayton, taking the sterner, more brittle part — and eventually, the more unhinged as well — it's a welcome reminder that his talents don't just reside behind the camera. Wielding that lens, Clayton's efforts are effective. Viewers never forget that this is a low-budget affair, particularly given that it's confined to one setting, but many rousing thrillers have been. A hefty smattering of inventive shots catch the eye, while the short but definitely not sweet film is well-paced, with Clayton also co-editing. Sadly the supporting cast are all noticeably underused, although Curran, Gyngell and Sarah Snook each make their marks. Of course, you don't go to a dark, murderous comedy called Brothers' Nest for something other than siblings getting kill-happy, and this taut, claustrophobic account of blood, money and double-crossing does what it needs to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdo5oiBQOgs
Every year, when October rolls around, the Astor Theatre hosts an all-night movie-watching extravaganza. 'Tis the season for bumps, jumps, screams, creepy celluloid dreams and getting scared while sitting in a cinema, after all. But there are halloween marathons, and then there are Halloween halloween marathons. No, we didn't accidentally repeat a word in the last sentence. For the Chapel Street venue's 2018 spooktacular, it's dedicating an entire night to the frightening film series that John Carpenter started 40 years ago. Expect the writer/director/composer's famous piano-filled score to echo throughout the building as Michael Myers dons his mask, grabs a knife, bursts through wardrobes, stalks babysitters and terrifies his hometown of Haddonfield, all on the titular occasion. And, expect Jamie Lee Curtis to cement her credentials as the ultimate big-screen scream queen. From the iconic first film — one of the best horror flicks ever made — to the not-so-iconic late 90s and early 00s sequels, all eight original Halloween movies will screen from 7pm on Saturday, October 27. The Halloween onslaught couldn't be better timed, and not only due to the date, with the all-new ninth film in the franchise hitting cinemas everywhere just a week earlier.
In 2018, great Australian choreographer Graeme Murphy celebrates 50 years in the business. And, to mark the occasion, the Australian Ballet is opening the season with a tribute. Titled Murphy, the show is a dazzling compilation of the choreographer's boldest and most poetic moments. A major highlight is the return of Firebird. The ballet is based on a Russian folktale about a prince who captures a bird, but, in exchange for a magical feather, sets her free. Next, he finds himself in an enchanted garden, where he falls in love with the daughter of an evil magician called Koschei, whose soul is trapped inside an egg. Together, the prince and Firebird attempt to release it. The story first appeared as a ballet in 1910 in an interpretation by choreographer Michel Fokine, set to music by composer Igor Stravinsky for the Ballet Russe. Murphy's recreation in 2009, which sticks to the original, is set in a dystopian Garden of Eden, designed by Leon Krasenstein. Along with performing the whole masterpiece, dancers will revisit excerpts from The Silver Rose, Ellipse, Grand and Air and Other Invisible Forces, as well as the entirety of Sheherazade. "What better way to start the year than by honouring an Australian dancemaker of unparalleled talent whose virtuosic career began right here with the Australian Ballet 50 years ago," said David McAllister, artistic director of the Australian Ballet. Murphy created his very first work for the Ballet's Choreographic Workshop in 1971, before going on to become artistic director for Sydney Dance Company, a position he held for 31 years. Murphy runs March 16–26 at Arts Centre Melbourne. You can book tickets here. Image: Jeff Busby and Alex Makeyev
Three weekends. 41 artists. Plenty of massive sculptures. That's whats's on the agenda when the Lorne Sculpture Biennial returns for 2018, with a new array of huge creations exploring the theme 'Landfall'. It's the sixth time that the fest has turned the Lorne foreshore and the surrounding areas on the Great Ocean Road into one amazing sculpture playground, with 65,000 folks checking out the results back in 2016. Attendees can expect sculptures and installations that focus on the intersection of nature, humanity and art, all for their viewing pleasure — and, for free as well. Highlights include a four-kilometre walking track between Erskine River to the St George River, featuring 25 artists and including many site-specific pieces. Or, there's the Sculpturescape trail, where nine artists reimagine the landscape in their own ways. And, four pieces will emerge victorious as part of LSB's annual awards. Of course, moseying on down for a stint of sculpture-viewing however you see fit is also on the agenda. The mammoth artworks will be on display 24 hours a day, seven days a week between March 17 and April 2. Image: Greg Johns, The Observers.
If there's one thing the world probably doesn't need more of, it's drive-thru fast food joints. But hey, when doughnuts are involved, anything goes. Especially when they're free. So Krispy Kreme's gearing up to open the doors to a new Victorian drive-thru doughnut store in Bulleen, in Melbourne's northeast. And to celebrate, it'll be giving out a hefty 10,000 free original glazed doughnuts to punters who visit the store on opening weekend, between February 9 and 11. You won't even need to leave your car to grab your signature glazed freebie, though if you'd rather not feel quite that lazy, you can physically head in and check out the new digs. The store's got room for 80, which seem excessive for a doughnut store that's schtick is drive-thru, as well as outdoor seating and a 'hot now' light signalling when the doughnuts are coming in fresh off the line. Obviously, Melbourne has many a doughnut shop — from Greek to artisan earl grey and rose cake rounds to the hot meat variety — that we'd recommend over Krispy Kreme, but if you're keen on novelty and free stuff, hop to it. The doughnuts will be free from 8am on Friday, February 9 until Sunday, February 11, and the story is open from 6am till 11pm daily. There's a limit of one per person.
UPDATE, March 12, 2021: Slender Man is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Forget Slender Man's thin body, faceless head and eerie vibe. Sure, the character's unsettling appearance was designed to frighten people; however the scariest thing about the lingering internet meme is the fact that it still exists. It's been nine years since Something Awful forum user Eric Knudsen came up with the macabre figure as part of a photoshop contest to create paranormal images, and not only is it still doing the digital rounds, it's making the leap onto the big screen as well. Longevity is one thing. Flogging a nearly decade-old creepypasta — the online equivalent of telling ghost stories around a campfire — is something else entirely. In the film that shares its name, Slender Man has a knack for timing, but Slender Man the movie definitely doesn't. In fact, this flimsy horror effort doesn't have a knack for much, other than sticking to the dullest of formulas. A group of teenage girls view an unnerving video, begin to notice weird occurrences and then start disappearing. If you'd like us to wake you up when it stops sounding generic, then you're in for quite a lengthy snooze. When Massachusetts pals Katie (Annalise Basso), Chloe (Jaz Sinclair), Hallie (Julia Goldani Telles) and Wren (Joey King) get bored at a slumber party, they decide to switch from watching porn to discovering what this Slender Man character is all about. A week later, Katie goes missing during a class trip to a cemetery, and her drunken dad blames her newfound obsession with the occult. That sparks the rest of the gang into action, taking advice from a mysterious online source and trying to offer Slender Man an exchange to get their missing friend back. To their surprise (but not to the audience's), that plan doesn't pan out well. Slender Man isn't someone to be bargained with, it seems. Given that Ringu and The Ring already exist (with several sequels to both), you might expect Slender Man to reach beyond an already well-worn premise. Given that The Craft exists as well, you might expect more than just a group of goth-leaning besties trifling with ominous forces, too. Sadly, we can keep playing this game, and the outcome remains the same. The film follows terrorised, victimised girls in the same US state that's infamous for the Salem witch trials, but it draws zero modern-day parallels. And, while it stems from the pen of screenwriter David Birke — the scribe behind the vastly superior Isabelle Huppert-led rape-revenge thriller Elle — Slender Man boasts no signs of complexity either. Along with by-the-numbers performances, bland shots of spooky forests and a paper-thin message about the corruptive power of going viral, among Slender Man's many missteps is the squandering of its eponymous villain. The elongated figure is literally yesterday's news now, but the film does little more than point out that it looks creepy and thrust it at the screen for a few jump-scares. That's the kind of laziness that usually plagues direct-to-video sequels, arrogantly believing that name recognition will do half of the work, and that occasionally pointing the camera at something sinister will do the rest. In that spirit, it should come as no surprise that director Sylvain White also has derivative threequel I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer on his resume. If there's one positive aspect to Slender Man, though, it's this: thankfully, it doesn't try to capitalise upon the real-life stabbing committed in the titular entity's name. Back in 2014, two 12-year-old girls attacked one of their friends in an effort to impress the internet's favourite boogeyman, adding an extra level of discomfort to the Slender Man saga. The case was covered in 2016 documentary Beware the Slenderman, which is straightforward but still vastly more intelligent and engaging than this fictional take on the meme. Still, watching Slender Man, viewers get the feeling that the film might've once cribbed a few cues from reality, then cut them from the final version — the movie is so drab and cobbled-together that it seems like the work of filmmakers trying to salvage a bad situation. Or, that could just be the kindest way to look at this scare-free, intrigue-free mess. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jc0ez0IZ4k
Let's see what's behind door number one. Or how about door number 1000? After blowing our minds last year with the incredible House of Mirrors, Australian installation artists Christian Wagstaff and Keith Courtney are headed back to the Melbourne Festival with the fittingly named 1000 Doors. Visitors will choose their own adventure, cutting a path through an endless labyrinth of doors, screens, portals and gateways in the Arts Centre Forecourt. No two people will experience the work in quite the same way once they step across the threshold. While there's no word yet on what you'll encounter on the way — hopefully no deathly four-guard, two-door riddle, à la Labyrinth — the artists have hinted to ghosts, time-travelling and "inhabitants past". We suggest you have your wits about you. Images: James Morgan
Pasta and parmesan are one of Italian cuisine's perfect pairings. Eat the former without the latter, and your tastebuds will know the difference. And while sprinkling your spaghetti with fine shavings of hard cheese is all well and good (and delicious), that's nothing compared to devouring a bowl of pasta that has been cooked in a parmesan wheel. If it sounds like all of your culinary dreams come true, that's because it is — and it's the dish in the spotlight at Cucinetta's Parmesan Wheel Week. After two successful events last year, the South Yarra restaurant is bringing it back in May, once again serving up the Italian traditional specialty pasta cacio e pepe straight out of a wheel of 18-month Grana Padano. Given that cacio e pepe is a spaghetti concoction made with parmesan and pepper — think fancier, tastier mac 'n' cheese — the results promise quite the cheesy meal. It will be available at Cucinetta for lunch from 12–3pm and dinner from 5pm between May 2 and 8. We'd tell you to arrive hungry, but we're sure you already are just thinking about it.
Heston Blumenthal. You know him, you love him. But are you willing to lay down $275 to get a seat at his restaurant? The folks at Melbourne Food and Wine Festival are betting you are, so they're hosting a two-night feast at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal on March 19 and 21 — and it's for art-lovers and foodies alike. The event will see the group's executive chef Ashley Palmer-Watts join forces with legendary Australian artist and designer David Bromley, who not-so-coincidentally commissioned sculptures for the restaurant back when it opened in 2015. Guests will indulge in a four-course tasting menu with paired wines, all while watching Bromley paint a piece of work. After dinner each night, the art piece will be raffled off, with proceeds going to the Children's Cancer Foundation. If you've got the bank roll to support this indulgence, or you're just really in the mood for a mega-splurge, there's no doubt it will be an evening for the books. Image: Mark Roper
If the team behind the Insidious franchise could have their time again, we're betting they'd make a significant change. You don't need supernatural abilities to pick what they'd fix, with their decision to kill off Lin Shaye's parapsychologist Elise Rainier in the first movie something they clearly regret. In the second film, they brought her back via the spirit world, while the series' third and fourth instalments have gone down the prequel route. It's easy to understand why — as the plucky otherworldly expert tasked with helping ordinary folks battle literal demons, Shaye is the best thing the horror saga has going for it by far. Indeed, thanks to the veteran actress, the Insidious flicks deserve a little more credit than they generally get. After all, how many franchises can say they have a 74-year-old woman as their star? A genre veteran with everything from A Nightmare on Elm Street to Critters to the Ouija movies to her name, Shaye remains as committed to her role as Elise as ever, including this time around. That said, pushing a septuagenarian front and centre can't make up for the series' largely by-the-numbers construction, which grows increasingly apparent with each new chapter. It would take serious mystical abilities to breathe life into the formulaic effort that is Insidious: The Last Key, for example. Directed by Shaye's 2001 Maniacs co-star Adam Robitel, this derivative outing keeps its protagonist around by taking a tried-and-tested path: an origin story. Anchored in Elise's childhood, the movie could easily be subtitled "this time, it's personal". As an introductory segment explains, she was once a girl (Ava Kolker) with special abilities, living near a prison, with a stern executioner father (Josh Stewart) who didn't approve. In the modern-day storyline, Elise is called back to her former home by its current resident (Kirk Acevedo), who's having some paranormal troubles of his own. Set in New Mexico's Five Keys and featuring a ghoul by the name of KeyFace, Insidious: The Last Key is anything but subtle. The paranormal villain also has keys for fingers, and doors and locks are prominent throughout the film. Although he created the series and has penned every instalment to date, Australian actor and screenwriter Leigh Whannell appears to be going through the motions with the flimsy narrative, even when he tries to step into more thematically interesting territory. Part of the movie focuses on abuse and the cycles of violence it can create, but it's treated with the same clunkiness as the supposedly-comic romantic subplot that sees sidekick characters, played by Whannell and Angus Sampson, hitting on a couple of much younger women. Of course, depth isn't something the franchise has ever counted among its strengths. Nor, for that matter, is comedy. Other than Shaye's presence, it has always fared best as a genre exercise. When The Conjuring's James Wan was at the helm of the first two films, what the series lacked in smarts and story, it almost made up for with its well-executed bumps, jumps, shadowy images and unsettling atmosphere. Nodding affectionately to (and borrowing liberally from) iconic horror flicks has always been part of the package too, but Wan's handling of demonic spirits and haunted houses still struck a stylistic chord. Sadly, as this trying, generic effort demonstrates, Robitel doesn't have the same talents with aesthetics or with scares. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV7tKm6JCCU
When the minds behind Melbourne Music Week select a venue as unique as St Paul's Cathedral as festival hub, you'd better believe they launch it with a bang. And indeed, the venue's MMW opening night is set to be quite the showstopper, pulling together a sparkling lineup of local and international acts on Friday, November 17. Heading the bill is Brooklyn-based songstress Julianna Barwick, whose ethereal vocals promise to make pure magic with those soaring cathedral ceilings. She'll be joined by US folk icon Kath Bloom, Melbourne producer Andras Fox, Wilson Tanner of Eleventeen Eston and neo-classical doom act Divide and Dissolve. Meanwhile, local producer Kirkis will debut his latest record with backing from the Melbourne Mass Gospel Choir, Two Steps On The Water will serve up a taste of their signature folk-punk sound and Krakatau's James Tom and Jack Doepel are set to deliver an unmissable performance featuring the cathedral's iconic T.C Lewis Pipe Organ. Now that you know what you'll be doing on opening night, make sure you've locked in some more gigs throughout the nine-days of music. We've given you a rundown of the full lineup here.
The next time you go out drinking and feel that warm, fuzzy feeling, it might not be because you've had one too many. Hopefully, it'll be because the money you spent on your beverage is being used to support an extremely important cause. Starting this week, 46 bars across Melbourne are once again teaming up with social enterprise Scarf for a campaign to help refugees, asylum seekers and recent migrants find work. Running from December 3–10, Scarf's Do More Than Drink initiative will help raise awareness and funding for young migrants facing barriers to employment. Participating venues — including many Concrete Playground favourites such as Stomping Ground, The Beaufort, Neighbourhood Wine, Garden State Hotel, The Alps and Gerald's Bar — will put out donation jars and encourage patrons to dig deep. Proceeds will be used to provide migrants with training, mentoring and employment in the hospitality industry. In addition to the donation jars, participating venues will reach into their tills and donate $1 from each drink sold on the final weekend (December 8 and 9) of the campaign. Basically, this means you're duty-bound to buy a drink. A move that's assured to give you the aforementioned warm and fuzzies across the bar. Now in its third year, Do More Than Drink will allow Scarf to provide more training, mentoring and employment to those that it will make a difference to. So drink up — here's a list of venues participating on the final weekend. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8 New Gold Mountain Double Happiness Lucky Coq Carwyn Cellars The Rum Diary Bar The Rooks Return Belleville Melbourne Stomping Ground Brewing Co Gerald's Bar Neighbourhood Wine Joe Taylor Back Alley Sally's The Local Taphouse Paradise Alley Aviary Hotel Los Hermanos Garden State Hotel Bar Josephine Seddon Wine Store Union Wine Store The Attic above Black Pearl Rupert on Rupert Rochester Hotel Atticus Finch Toorak Cellars SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9 Robert Burns Hotel Bimbo Deluxe Kelvin Pallino Above Board The Alps Kitty Somerset Section 8 Saint Urban The Lincoln Bomba (Rooftop) Park Street STARWARD Distillery The Grace Darling Hudsons Road Wine & Beer Two Birds Brewing Bad Love Club Clever Polly's The Beaufort Lulie Street Tavern The Attic above Black Pearl
Kicking off this week, the Coburg Night Market is back in full swing for its eighth year and will take place every Friday from November 24 to December 15. Pop over for an al fresco meal and drinks before perusing the local artisan stalls set up throughout the evening. There will be a vast array of food on offer so devour some award-winning gluten-free gnocchi by Ardor Food Co. before tucking into American-style BBQ from The Gypsy's Lunchbox. There's plenty to feel good about too. Head on over to Crepes for Change — all profits go towards youth homelessness in Australia — or rice paper roll slingers Paper Plains, whose profits go to socially conscious projects like Taboo Sanitary Products. There will be a fully stocked bar with beers provided by the Thunder Road Brewing and a variety of other beverages. And once you've had your dinner, you'll find a show with live music and entertainment throughout the evening. The Coburg Night Market takes place at Bridges Reserve from 5.30 till 10pm.
Tarantino fans, it's the moment you've all been waiting for — and it just might be even better than the world-famous Jackrabbit Slim's twist contest. In a massive overnight movie marathon (dusk till dawn included), The Astor is showing its love for the filmmaker responsible for making everyone think twice about Madonna's 'Like A Virgin', Royales with cheese, getting sword-wielding vengeance and getting caught in Minnie's Haberdashery during a snowstorm. With more enthusiasm than the man-in-question's fondness for rapid-fire dialogue, retro soundtracks and paying homage to every film he's ever seen, Tarantino Fest will train the Chapel Street cinema's projector on some of QT's finest from 6pm on February 10. The next 19 hours or so will be filled with flicks helmed by Tarantino, written by Tarantino and/or starring Tarantino. On the agenda: Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, From Dusk till Dawn, both volumes of Kill Bill and The Hateful Eight (in its 70mm roadshow presentation), in that order. Breaking out your best yellow jumpsuit, bathrobe, Hawaiian shirt, daggy tee and shorts combo, or flight attendant's uniform is heartily recommended, obviously. $5 shakes will also be on offer — hopefully in Martin and Lewis, or Amos and Andy styles — as will themed food trucks. And with The Astor also promising some K-Billy-style super sounds, if you want to dance to 'Stuck in the Middle with You' or 'Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon' in the foyer, we're guessing that no one will stop you.
Summer is in the air, and with it the smell of fresh popcorn, as starlight screenings return to Lido's Rooftop Cinema in Hawthorn. Perched atop the eight-screen picture house overlooking Glenferrie Road, the outdoor screen will light up from next week with a selection of classic and new release movies in the open air. The Lido on the Roof season kicks off on Thursday, November 16 with Justice League. DC's superhero team-up is one of a number of hotly anticipated summer movies on the program, with other highlights including James Franco's The Disaster Artist, Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water and the critically acclaimed gay romance Call Me By Your Name. Oh, and they're also screening a little indie flick called Star Wars: The Last Jedi. They're also bringing back their 'cult calendar' selection, with iconic retro titles including Labyrinth (on David Bowie's birthday), The Goonies, The Lion King and The Big Lebowski, plus a sing-a-long screening of Muriel's Wedding. And for those after something a little bit more adult, Fridays will be dedicated to steamy erotic thrillers such as Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct and Eyes Wide Shut.
Revel, the crew behind such epicurean hits as Pinot Palooza, Game of Rhones and Mould, is back with another standout food and wine event, this time devoted to all things Greek. After a successful debut last year, Oinofilia: A Celebration of the Wines of Greece will return to North Melbourne's Meat Market this Sunday, June 24. As with previous Revel events, wine lovers are in for a serious treat here. Greece takes the cake as Europe's oldest wine-producing region and Oinofilia is out to do it justice, showcasing 80 different wines from every corner of the country. Visitors will have the chance to sample unique varietals like Assyrtiko, Xinomavro, Moschofilero and Agiorgitiko, and chat to producers flown in especially for the event. Being a Greek celebration, no one's about to go hungry either. The Melbourne edition will feature authentic fare from Camberwell's Elyros and sister restaurant Epocha, along with treats from Prahran Market's famed Sweet Greek. According to Revel founder and director Dan Sims, it's the chance for locals to get acquainted with a Greek offering that's often underrated here in Australia. "Oinofilia, from the Greek oîn, is by definition a love of wine," he says. "We all love Greek food, culture, and those islands, now it's time to celebrate Greek wine."
It's been three years since Australia's cinema scene welcomed the American Essentials Film Festival — and while a fest dedicated to US flicks might seem obvious, this event sets its sights much further than Hollywood's usual suspects. Given that mainstream, megaplex-friendly movies reach our shores every week, the Palace-run showcase instead curates a lineup of other American titles, delving into films from the US indie realm. Screening in Melbourne from May 10 to 20, the 2018 fest has a particular fondness for emerging practitioners, with artistic director Richard Sowada noting "the obvious talent from some of the filmmakers in the early stages of their feature film careers," as well as "the deep and obvious respect even some of these newer filmmakers have for the traditions of storytelling in American cinema." With that in mind, this year's event kicks off with The Boy Downstairs, a Zosia Mamet-starring effort from debut feature writer-director Sophie Brooks, which proved a hit at the 2017 TriBeCa Film Festival. The opening night pick also highlights one of the festival's other trends — thanks to its focus on American cinema, it boasts plenty of familiar faces on screen. Standouts include Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair battling a murderous rage in horror-comedy Mom and Dad, Helena Bonham Carter and Hilary Swank recreating a landmark '80s case for patients' rights in 55 Steps, and war effort The Yellow Birds, featuring Solo: A Star Wars Story's Alden Ehrenreich, Ready Player One's Tye Sheridan, plus Toni Collette and Jennifer Aniston. There's also two star-studded flicks about sons and their fathers: Humour Me, which pairs up Jemaine Clement and Elliott Gould in a deadpan comedy, and Kodachrome, which takes Jason Sudeikis and Ed Harris on a road trip to a photo processing laboratory. Other notable titles range from Stuck, which brings the train-set off-Broadway musical of the same name to the cinema; to Outside In, director Lynn Shelter's latest featuring Edie Falco as an ex-high school teacher; to mob drama Gotti, starring John Travolta as the mob boss and screening in Australia just hours after its Cannes Film Festival premiere. On the documentary front, How They Got Over takes a far-reaching documentary into African-American gospel quartets in the '30s and '40s, while RBG examines the life and career of US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. For the fest's retrospective section, Los Angeles is in the spotlight courtesy of classics Chinatown, Heat and Shampoo, as well as '70s masterpieces Killer of Sheep and Wattstax.
At least once and likely much more than that, a certain line will be uttered at Hightail over the next six weeks. "Six us a song, you're the piano man" will be rather a fitting thing to say, admittedly — because the Melbourne hangout is hosting a pop-up piano bar between Tuesday, July 17 and Thursday, August 23. On Tuesday and Thursday nights across that period, Matt Ganim will tickle the ivories and play whatever you ask for — including the Billy Joel track you might now have stuck in your head, we're guessing. Go on, be more adventurous than that with your song selections. He really will play whatever you wish, even if it's an old piano classic or your favourite pop track. Singing along is both encouraged and expected. That's one of the joys of piano bars, after all. Plus, if you gather the gang, get organised and book a booth for four people in advance, you'll get something extra — a free beverage on arrival. Image: Hightail.
Spare a thought for the screenwriters of origin stories. Sure, at first glance, it might seem like they have it made: an enormous built-in audience, a clearly defined universe steeped in history, and pre-existing characters so beloved across multiple generations that all their quirks, mannerisms and catch-phrases are already fully fleshed-out. All the writers have to do is join up a few narrative dots and cue that memorable theme song. But what about tension? How do you place your heroes in deadly peril when the audience already knows they survive? How do you make a character's emotional growth even remotely interesting when the audience already knows who they become? And what possible story can you tell when the audience already knows how it ends? The solution is recalibration, shifting the audience experience from one of wonder and surprise to anticipation. Much like a movie based on real events, origin films focus not on what, but on how, why and when. Back in 1995 director Ron Howard masterfully applied that technique to create the tense final moments of Apollo 13. Now, with Solo: A Star Wars Story, he again shows how waiting for something to happen can be just as exhilarating as wondering if it will happen at all. This is a movie of firsts: the first time Han acquires his surname, the first time he sets foot on the Millennium Falcon, and the first time he encounters his lifelong friend and ally Chewbacca. It's entirely accessible for newcomers, and an even bigger treat for fans. Solo: A Star Wars Story is the second of the Star Wars Spin-offs, and like Rogue One takes place somewhere in between the timelines of the larger, better known chapters (in this case, after Revenge of the Sith but before A New Hope). It is an age of lawlessness, the opening tells us, and nowhere is that more prevalent than the distant planet of Corellia, where the long arm of the Empire is less feared than the gangs that lurk in its shadows. It's here that we meet the young Han (Alden Ehrenreich), a wannabe pilot forced to boost speeders and run errands for a slug-like criminal matriarch and her cronies. Han and his girlfriend Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke) have dreams of escaping to explore the universe. But when their plans fall apart, Han reluctantly joins the Empire to secure his way off planet, vowing to return as soon as humanly possible to liberate his great love. Fast forward a few years, though, and Han finds himself stumbling from one calamity to the next, convinced like all good scoundrels and conmen that his next score will be the big one – the one to set everything right. The beloved nature of the Han Solo character is largely down to actor Harrison Ford and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan – the latter of whom wrote both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The master scribe returns for Solo, delivering a story that's less galactic opera and more small-scale heist movie in the vein of an old school Western. Solo's swagger, the gun on his hip, and even the iconic outfit all fit perfectly with that space cowboy aesthetic, while Ehrenreich makes the wise call to embody the character rather than impersonate. He doesn't begin as Solo, but instead neatly and incrementally becomes him over the course of two action-packed hours. On the other end of the scale, Donald Glover's portrayal of the iconic charmer Lando Calrissian scarcely evolves from his first line to his last, yet is so note perfect that it scarcely matters. Clarke's contribution is equally nuanced, especially in the film's latter stages. The roster is rounded out by fun turns courtesy of Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson and Paul Bettany as the assorted rogues Han encounters on his travels. Focussed, fun and faithful to the lore, Solo: A Star Wars Story comfortably shrugs off the production woes that seemed destined to leave it in ruins and instead delivers us a fine and worthy expansion of the wider Star Wars universe. Oh, and if you had any lingering doubts, let it be finally laid to rest: Han shot first. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPEYpryMp2s
Cake Bar in Geelong is — just as it sounds — a place to live out your cake dreams. Run by cake boss Charles Corby, he takes inspiration from his gran, a lady who knew her dietary stuff: like all good nannas, she used to whip up desserts and let him enjoy the results both before and after her creations were done cooking. He's expanding on this very important knowledge by spreading it to the people: Cake Bar will run an all-you-can-eat cake buffet on Saturday, July 7 which is just as it sounds — a buffet that will provide you with all the sweet, baked goodness that you can stomach. Not for the faint-hearted or those lacking a sweet tooth, you might need to do some serious girding of those sugar loins before you get there. For $45 you get unlimited cake, plus a cocktail to wash it all down with. Expect Kinder Surprise mousse cakes, Kit Kat cheesecake, Ferrero Rocher mud cake, and the good old pav. Also expect a sugar comedown the next day.
It seems burger fever has gripped Bentleigh this winter. Last month, Good Times Milk Bar opened a burger offshoot and gave away free buns to celebrate. Now, Centre Road staple Mr Burger is launching a new menu and is hosting its own celebratory giveaway. On Sunday, July 8, from 11.30am, the Centre Road eatery will be giving away 100 free burgers. It's limited to one per person, and to one of three burgers off the new menu: Mr Burger, the standard with beef, lettuce, cheese, tomato and pickles; Mr Grilled, which is the same as the former but with chicken breast instead of beef; and a vegetarian Mr Veg. Other items on the new menu, which are not part of the giveaway, include Mr Brunch (stuffed with with a hash brown, bacon, egg and barbecue sauce), mozzarella sticks and sweet potato fries. The giveaway doesn't stop on Sunday, either. For the whole of July, the Bentleigh burger joint is serving up weekday deals to help launch its new menu. Head in on Mondays for free chips with burger purchase, Tuesdays for 2-for-1 milkshakes between 3–5pm, Wednesdays for free sweet potato chips with burger purchase, Thursdays for free mozzarella sticks with burger purchase and Fridays for free add-on bacon. They're a lot of reasons for you to get out from under your slanket and grab a burger this July.
International Beer Day approaches, and so too do the slew of events to celebrate our beloved frothies — and this one's a cracker. The Grosvenor Hotel in St Kilda is capitalising on the occasion as well as the fact that people love a happy hour, and coining their own 'hoppy hour'. On Friday, August 3, make sure you clear your schedule and prepare to crack into the pints, tinnies and stubbies that the day is devoted to. The Grosvenor will provide a range of craft beer for only $6 — think Brick Lane, Wolf of the Willows and Bad Shepherd, among others. Pull up a seat from 5–7pm — that's two solid hours of craft beer-drinking and pun-making using 'hoppy' to replace 'happy' for you to get yourself around. You're welcome.
If you're not already familiar with Melbourne's much-loved 400 Gradi, here's a fact: owner Johnny Di Francesco won World Pizza Champion in 2014. So, his pizza is some of the best in the world. Fast forward to now and Di Francesco is about to giveaway some of this world-renowned pizza, for free. To celebrate National Margherita Day (supposedly, it's a thing), 400 Gradi is slinging free margheritas all day on Monday, June 11. It's a public holiday and the giveaway is happening at all 400 Gradi venues in Melbourne, so there's really no reason to miss out. At the moment, there's no limit to how many pizzas the restaurants will be giving away, but it will be limited to one per couple. To get your cheesy, doughy round, free of charge, you'll just need to post a pic of it on Insta and show it to a staff member. You can find all the nitty-gritties here.
Meet Patriot, Potomac, Primrose, Poppet and Phil. They're each cute as a button, and they just might become America's next hard-working, helpful guide dogs. Born at the headquarters of US organisation Guide Dogs for the Blind, these labrador puppies will learn what it takes to become a seeing-eye companion for a human in need. While they won't all end up assisting the visually impaired to live fuller lives, they'll each try their best and look adorable in the process. That's the story behind Pick of the Litter, the documentary that'll make you want to hug your own doggo, get one, or volunteer to help train pooches that become guide dogs. The movie is part of this year's Melbourne International Film Festival lineup, screening on Sunday, August 5 and again on Sunday, August 19 — and it covers a program that's incredibly close to the way that Guide Dogs Victoria breed, raise and train their pups. If you've not only just added the film to your must-see list, but have started wondering how you can get involved, here's some good news — Guide Dogs Victoria staff and volunteers will be on hand at both sessions to let you know how you can assist. In even better news, they'll have company of the four-legged kind, so you can see a movie about gorgeous, life-changing guide dogs and pat a few before and after the screening.
We all love a good Polish dumpling, but who knew the humble pierogi actually had a patron saint? His name is Saint Hyacinth and he even has a day of feasting dedicated to him, which falls on August 17. And to celebrate, your mates at Pierogi Pierogi are hosting a good ol' dumpling fundraiser. As it turns out, Saint Hyacinth was famed for feeding homemade pierogi to Krakow's poor, needy and destitute, and these locals are marking the occasion by doing something similar. At the Pierogi Pierogi stall at The Fitzroy Market on Saturday, August 18 — they're holding it a day later so it falls on the weekend — the team will donate all dumpling profits to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), in a nod to the Poles who were welcomed into Australia when they fled the communist regime in the 40s and 80s. What's more, if you donate on the day and fill out a raffle ticket, you'll go into the draw to win a huge Pierogi Pierogi feast for you and ten mates at your house.
Ah, gluten. Scourge of coeliacs and trend-dieters alike, this humble wheat protein has been making life difficult for as long as we've been eating sliced bread. But fortunately for all the gluten-intolerants out there, this long weekend the Food Truck Park will be a strictly gluten-free zone. Starting 5pm on Friday, June 9, more than a dozen mobile food vendors will roll into Preston, slinging tasty treats without a single bit of wheat, rye or barley in sight. Woking Amazing, The Pizza Doctor, Babuji's Kitchen, Nem N Nem, Two Fat Indians and Sweet Forbidden Journey are but a few of the rolling restaurants who'll make an appearance. There'll also be a number of stalls selling a variety of gluten-free products to take home.
