The summer might be far from over, but, for many of us, the holidays component of the season is drawing to a close. If that's the case with you, then don't go out with a whimper. Make it a bang at The Last Hurrah rooftop pool party, coming up at The Pool Deck, atop Rydges in Carlton, on Sunday 14 January. For six sun-kissed hours from 3pm, you'll be treated to bottomless frosé by Cake, plus Aperol Spritz and Heineken 3, as well as gourmet canapés. Meanwhile, international touring DJ YO! MAFIA will be on the decks, spinning hip-hop and r 'n' b. Over the past few years, she's supported Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams, De La Soul and Snoop Dogg, among others. Tickets, which are strictly limited, are $89 a pop and include entry, use of the pool and five hours' worth of food and drinks.
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is making an offer you can't refuse. For two nights only, renowned conductor Shih-Hung Young will lead the MSO in a rendition of the gorgeous score from The Godfather, as part of a live concert screening at Hamer Hall. If you've never seen the film, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. If you already have, then you won't need convincing that it's worth doing so again. Widely heralded as one of the greatest films ever made, Francis Ford Coppola's crime epic follows the reluctant rise of Michael (Al Pacino) up the ranks of the notorious Corleone crime family. Full of countless iconic lines and award-worthy performances, the film is also remembered for Nino Rota's haunting orchestral score: a melancholy waltz tinged with an elegant darkness that lingers long after the movie comes to an end. Leave the gun. Take the cannoli. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9vA7L8H4nc
To the dismay and disbelief of some (and to the giggles and chuckles of others), the recent Anthony Weiner sex scandal in American politics is producing some very interesting coverage. For instance, today's New York Post headline has created plenty of controversy as it brazenly proclaims 'Obama Beats Weiner'. The headline relates to President Obama's comments about Weiner's resignation, and while many are growing tired of the constant double entendres others are enjoying watching how far the joke can be pushed. The House Majority Leader, John Boehner, made comments earlier today calling for Weiner's resignation. Potential suggestions from Twitter for tomorrow's headline include 'Boehner Hard On Weiner'. While some suggest that this kind of childish joke-making is degrading American politics, it is hard not to laugh when you consider other recent political news. Fox Business host Eric Boilling yesterday remarked "What's with all the hoods in the hizzy?" after President Obama hosted rapper Common and Gabon President Ali Bongo at the White House recently. Boilling later apologised for "getting a little fast and loose with the language" but not for his comments about Obama "chugging 40s". And of course who could forget Sarah Palin, who continues travel around the United States on her One Nation tour, obviously inspired by her Australian political counterpart Pauline Hanson's One Nation party. Let's just hope the entire presidential campaign continues to be this much fun. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0XnLjDaREXs
The Dexter boys have done it again with the opening of two more levels above their BBQ meat restaurant Cheek. New cocktail bar and rooftop Peaches marks the fourth venue by Adam Goldblatt and brothers Tom and Sam Peasnell, who not only co-own Dexter, Takeaway Pizza, Cheek and (now) Peaches, but are also the executive chefs and run the front-of-house across all restaurants. The first level of Peaches is a pastel pink fantasy land. It's intimate and flirty with a whimsical scattering of glowing peach-like light bulbs. At the centre of the room are two white terrazzo table tops surrounded by a neat row of circular moss green stools. Semi-private booths in soft shades of blush and oversized monstera clippings line the side of the room. Already, you find yourself boogying to the bar as you step over (or through?) the specks of light shimmering from the gigantic disco ball at the corner of the room. It's a visually stunning space and unlike anything we've seen in Melbourne's hospitality scene before. Interior designers Amy Pierce and Natalie Widera of design studio Pierce Widera have executed a fit-out that's quite an experience in itself. As is true across all four venues by the Dexter team, the vibe and overall food and drink offering at Peaches walks the fine line (well) between serious and fun. The cocktail menu is divided into four music-themed genres: 90s pop, funk, metal and disco. A favourite of ours is taken from first section — where all the "guilty pleasure" cocktails live. Aptly named 'It's Britney Bitch', it's packed with a delicious blend of Brookie's Slow Gin, dry vermouth, raspberry and basil. Head upstairs to the 80-person rooftop and get around, what we believe to be, one of the most enticing and best-value bar snacks in town. It's the classic chicken sanga, available 'hot' with Sichuan-spiced fried chicken or 'cold' with yuzu mayo and pickles, both served in a soft bun. It's a steal at $7 a pop during happy hour (normally $10) — which runs from 12–2pm and 12–2am — and the flavours and texture combinations of these sangas make them an absolute knock-out. The drinks focus up here differs from downstairs, and is all about cooling down in summer with light and breezy spritzes and blended cocktails. Expect creative interpretations of the spritz (beyond the Aperol) with flavours such as blood orange and pét-nat; apricot and walnut syrup; and pickled pear juice with mead and soda. And fun fact: during the summer months, the rooftop features cooling water misters for all-round spritzin'. Then, during the winter months, a retractable roof will be installed and bums will stay warm thanks to an ingenious built-in heating system under the concrete bench seating. You could, in a perfect world, spend a idyllic 12 hours (plus) in the newly complete three-level venue. Begin at noon, when the doors open, on the rooftop. After a few spritzes, and when the sun goes down, head to level one for a meaty dinner at Cheek. Cap the night off at Peaches cocktail bar on the middle level and tear up the dance floor until you're booted out at 3am. And don't forget the cheeky chicken sanga, which is available until close. Peaches is now open at Level 2, 301 Swanston Street, Melbourne. It's open 4pm–1am Monday to Thursday and midday–3am Friday and Saturday. Images: Kate Shanasy.
Over the past few years, Melbourne's famed floating bar has become a summer staple — because soaking up the warm weather and sipping cocktails on the Yarra clearly go hand-in-hand. Thankfully, that won't change in 2020, with Arbory Afloat set to return once more. Arbory Afloat, which made its debut in 2015, is set to reclaim its prime position in front of on-shore sister venue Arbory Bar & Eatery on the Yarra from Monday, October 26, when it's expected metro Melbourne will move into step three of the roadmap and outdoor dining at restaurants and bars will be allowed. As part of its annual revamp, the temporary bar and restaurant is taking inspiration from beach houses in our own backyard, which means lush greenery, wicker furniture, lime-washed timber and lots of blues and greens. To complete the picture, the 69-metre floating venue has two bars, an upper deck and an undercover dining area — so plenty of space to social distance. And, if that's not enough, the onboard swimming pool will also be making a triumphant return. [caption id="attachment_754392" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Shiff[/caption] Chef Nick Bennett has again designed the menu, which will be packed full of local ingredients and inspired by all things Mediterranean. And would it be a visit to the floating bar without cocktails? We think not. Luckily, there'll be plenty. As well as Four Pillars pink gin, there'll be craft beers, wine and six cocktails on tap. Despite the return of the bar, summer in Melbourne isn't going to be all business as usual. So, expect there to be limited capacities, bookings and plenty of ticketed, seated events. Arbory Afloat is set to open at Flinders Landing from Monday, October 26, with opening hours from 11am–1am daily. Images: Simon Shiff
Your Yarra Valley wine-sipping itinerary has just scored a bold new addition, with the much anticipated launch of Hubert Estate. Now open and welcoming in patrons, the new destination winery is the work of Gerry and Andrew Ryan, (Mitchelton Winery, Nagambie Brewery & Distillery, The Prince). And it's an absolute doozy, featuring a modern Australian restaurant, new-look cellar door, art gallery, event space and boutique wine store. The Coldstream site formerly home to St Huberts winery has been given a complete transformation at the hands of celebrated design studio Cera Stribley, with its most striking feature being the main building — cut dramatically into the earth, crowned by an expanse of lawn and overlooking the vines. The multi-faceted estate is set to serve an array of wining, dining and cultural experiences, headlined by Quarters — a restaurant of modern Australian and Euro influence that's led by Executive Chef Michael Smith (former Head Chef at Coda and Tonka). Celebrating both lunch and dinner, the diner will hero dishes cooked over charcoal and wood on the kitchen's custom-made grill, along with a selection of wood-fired pizza and handmade pasta creations. Meanwhile, Hubert Gallery of Art is set to showcase a strong curation of Indigenous works, and event space Harriet promises to sweep you off your feet with its stunning fitout and breathtaking views. Wine lovers are also in excellent hands here, thanks to the newly revamped St Huberts cellar door, where you can sample the full house range of wines, or settle in to enjoy a bottle over some local cheese and charcuterie. The adjoining boutique wine store Notes is stocked with up to 70 drops from across Australia, championing new techniques and emerging varietals above all. And the Hubert Estate fun doesn't end there. Also in the works are plans for a designer hotel and wellness centre, to grace the precinct by 2024. Find Hubert Estate at 1–3 St Huberts Road, Coldstream. Quarters is open from 10am–6pm Wednesday and Thursday, 10am–9pm Friday and Saturday, and 10am–6pm Sunday. The Cellar Door is open daily from 10am–6pm.
What a time to be alive for gin lovers. Last month, we introduced you to a rainforest-infused gin from Byron Bay. Now, we're heading south, to Tasmania, where brand new distillery Southern Wild has just opened. Its first offering is a trio of gins known as Dasher + Fisher, named for two rivers that travel from Tassie's snowy mountains to its northwest coast. Each spirit represents a section of the rivers' journey, the first being 'Mountain', the second, 'Meadow' and the third, 'Coast'. What all three have in common is a trio of uniquely Tasmanian botanicals: pepperberry, lavender and wakame seaweed. Distiller George Burgess, who's been perfecting his recipes for a decade, then blends these base botanicals with additional native ingredients, sourced from local growers, to give each gin its distinctive profile. "My goal, right from the get-go, was to try and create a gin that would allow me a multi-layered experience," says Burgess. "It took a lot of experiments and a lot of work to try and get that layering to the point where it was achieving what I set out to do." 'Mountain' is a dry-style drop, which puts the pepperberry up front, surrounded by another ten botanicals, including eucalypt, rosemary and sage. 'Meadow', a modern gin, emphasises the lavender, which is combined with 14 other botanicals, including freshly-picked oranges. Meanwhile, 'Ocean' is all about powering up the wakame seaweed, made more complex thanks to 11 other botanicals. You can buy Dasher + Fisher online, via Southern Wild's website. To visit in person, get yourself to Devonport, on Tassie's north coast. The distillery is open Monday to Wednesday between 10am and 5pm, and Thursday to Sunday from 10am till late. There are live music events and, if you're keen to take a tour with George, it's a good idea to book in advance. Images: Jason Loucas.
Clocking in at an impressive 350 square metres and packed full of leafy green delights, Botanicah is pegged to be the Southside's biggest plant warehouse. And if you've got even a glimmer of the plant-buying bug, don't expect to leave here empty-handed. Best mates Harris Mashood and Bowen Walker have filled their space — a former plastic bag factory — with a covetable collection of greenery, pots and accessories. The range is always growing, too, with every piece sourced carefully from local nurseries and artisans. There's a little something here to suit just about every condition and watering habit imaginable, from those sun-loving outdoor plants to cute cacti and hard-to-kill indoor varieties. Fancy a foxtail fern for your bedroom? Maybe a melanthera to brighten up that balcony? Whatever you're vibing, a wander through this soothing green oasis is likely to unearth it. Along with buckets of inspiration, the team's also got your back with expert advice on how to help those new plant babies thrive. And plant sale events are a regular occurrence — stay tuned to the Facebook page for details. [caption id="attachment_775192" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arianna Leggiero[/caption] Images: Arianna Leggiero
The most famous building in Australia is about to hit a huge milestone, with the Sydney Opera House turning 50 when October 2023 rolls around. Over those five decades, the iconic arts venue has hosted a dream lineup of shows, productions and gigs on its stages — and it has another in store to help mark its massive anniversary. An occasion this huge was never going to pass without plenty of celebrations, so the Opera House is planning a hefty lineup that'll serve up just that. Kicking off in October this year, the 50th-anniversary season will run for an entire 12 months. And while the bulk of it won't be announced until later in 2022, the venue has just revealed its first show: Amadeus starring Michael Sheen. The Welsh actor boasts a resume spanning everything from Masters of Sex and Tron: Legacy to The Queen and Twilight — Frost/Nixon, the Underworld flicks, Alice in Wonderland and Good Omens, too — and, from 1998–99 in London and also on Broadway, this very play. Back then, he took on the role of Mozart; however, this time he'll step into Antonio Salieri's shoes, aka the Italian composer posited to be the titular figure's bitter adversary. [caption id="attachment_860816" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Amadeus by Peter Shaffer. Directed by Peter Hall, with David Suchet as Antonio Salieri and Michael Sheen as Motzart. Performed at The Old Vic in London in 1998. Credit: Geraint Lewis / ArenaPAL.[/caption] Sheen's stint at the Opera House comes as part of Amadeus' Australian-exclusive season, which'll take over the site's newly revamped Concert Hall from Tuesday, December 27, 2022–Saturday, January 21, 2023. He'll play opposite Rahel Romahn (Here Out West) as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, plus Lily Balatincz (Constellations) as Constanze Mozart, all bringing a fierce — and fictitious — classical music rivalry to life. If you're new to Amadeus, which first hit the stage in 1979 in London — six years after the Opera House opened its doors — it reimagines Mozart and Salieri's lives as the latter struggles to come to terms with the former's talent. In 1981, for its first Broadway run, it nabbed the 1981 Tony Award for Best Play. In 1984, after being turned into a movie, it also won eight Academy Awards including Best Picture. And, Baz Luhrmann also mentioned it to Concrete Playground as one of the influences that helped him on the path to making Elvis. Including Sheen, Romahn and Mozart, the Sydney cast will feature 40 performers, spanning actors, opera singers and musicians from The Metropolitan Orchestra who'll be worked into the onstage drama. Director Craig Ilott (Smoke & Mirrors, American Idiot, Betty Blokk Buster Reimagined) will be on helming duties, while Australian fashion house Romance Was Born is directing the costumes. [caption id="attachment_860821" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] And, for theatregoers keen to turn a night watching Amadeus into quite the special occasion, the Opera House is also doing impressive — albeit expensive — dinner-and-show option called Amadeus: Primo Atto. Starting at $440 per person, it includes a three-course dinner with paired wines in one of the venue's most intimate spaces, plus a private tour beforehand, and then tickets to the production. As for what else will be on the 50th-anniversary lineup, watch this space. Based on this first announcement — and the fact that the full program of events and performances is supported by the NSW Government's Blockbuster Funding initiative — the Opera House's year-long festivities looks set to be big. [caption id="attachment_681696" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton Lund[/caption] Amadeus will play Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall from Tuesday, December 27, 2022–Saturday, January 21, 2023. Pre-sales start at 9am on Wednesday, July 13, with general ticket sales from 9am on Monday, July 18. For more information, head to the Sydney Opera House website. For more information about Amadeus: Primo Atto, also head to the Sydney Opera House website. Top image: Faith Healer by Brian Friel, rehearsals, Michael Sheen as Frank Hardy. Directed by Warchus, set designed by Howell, lighting designed by Lutkin and Brown. Old Vic Theatre, London, UK; 21 September 2020. Credit: Manuel Harlan / ArenaPAL.
Spend your Saturday celebrating Chinese art and culture when the NGV rings in the Chinese New Year with a full day program of workshops, tours, performances, music and food. It'll all go down on Saturday, February 9 from 10am–4pm — and it's absolutely free. Start off with a guided tour of the gallery's Chinese and Asian art collections — it spans a whopping four millennia of culture and history through artist mediums such as sculpture, ceramics, jade, calligraphy and prints. They'll be running throughout the day, with a curator's tour at 11am. Traditional paper cutting and good luck couplet making workshops will also run in the morning, with no booking necessary. Musical acts DJ Small Fry and The Film School Collective will each perform, too — the latter combines contemporary electronic music with traditional Chinese acoustic instruments in a performance that's a mix of composed and improvised work. In the afternoon, relax outdoors in the Grollo Equiset Garden and learn the ancient art of tai chi in an introductory class. Then chow down on dumplings, noodles and desserts, which will be on offer in the Great Hall throughout the day. For the full list of events, check out the NGV International website.
How many spider-men is the optimal amount of spider-men? Asking for the best Spider-franchise there is: the Spider-Verse series. Sure, 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home messed with multiverse madness, complete with Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland's versions of the titular character — but the stunning 2018 Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse not only got there first, but topped that first. Now, the animated flick's upcoming sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is going one better yet again. Initially set to release in 2022 — and even dropping a first trailer in 2021 — but now arriving in June 2023, Across the Spider-Verse is the first of two follow-ups to the Miles Morales (Shameik Moore, Wu-Tang: An American Saga)-focused franchise. And, it isn't holding pack on its spider-people. Where the initial film gave us a spider-woman, spider-robot and spider-pig, as well as Nicolas Cage as a 30s-era spider-vigilante, this one has another whole onslaught of Spideys heading Miles' way. This time around, the movie's Brooklyn-based friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man is slightly older, and also faced with a spider-team, who are keen to protect the multiverse's existence. When there's that many Spideys, agreeing on how to handle things — including a new threat — isn't easy. That's how the clash between Miles and his fellow spider-folk comes about, as animated in the series' usual dazzling onslaught of colour and movement in the just-released sneak peek. Also included amid all the spider-alternatives in the trailer: Miles reuniting with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld, Hawkeye). And, there's Spider-Woman (Issa Rae, Insecure), the Spider-Verse version of The Vulture (Jorma Taccone, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) and the return of Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac, Moon Knight). (If you're wondering about Isaac's character, he first turned up in the post-credits section of Into the Spider-Verse, and he's an alternate version of Spidey from a specific Marvel Comics imprint.) The voice cast spans Daniel Kaluuya (Nope) as Spider-Punk and Jason Schwartzman (I Love That for You) as The Spot as well, and Jake Johnson (Minx) is also back as Peter B Parker — alongside Brian Tyree Henry (Bullet Train) as Miles' dad and Luna Lauren Velez (Power Book II: Ghost). Expect to see Miles head into other Spidey realms, too, in a franchise that made every single live-action Spidey film pale in comparison to its initial instalment. Once again produced by The Afterparty's Phil Lord and Christopher Miller — and this time co-written — Across the Spider-Verse will be followed by third film Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse in 2024. There's also a female-focused spinoff in the works as well. Check out the new Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailer below: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will release in cinemas Down Under on June 1, 2023.
Keeping you up-to-date with the best and most unique happenings in art, culture, design and technology is what makes us tick. And now we want to celebrate some of the people making these exceptional things happen — so we've partnered with Miller Genuine Draft to create the Miller Design Lab. Across six special nights, the Miller Design Lab will showcase projects from a bunch of creatives at Chapel Street's SoHigh Gallery, with food, Miller Genuine Draft and live music also on offer — and it's all completely complimentary. On Saturday, March 23, Sydney-based designers Dreamcatchersdreamtime will transform the Miller Design Lab into a colourful and experimental spectacle. The team thrives off exploring novel ideas and collaborations with like-minded designers to create unique clothing and accessories awash with vibrant colour. And for this showcase, Dreamcatchersdreamtime has teamed up with Think Positive Prints, a direct to fabric textile design company that specialises in colour and design. Together they've developed two large-scale textile pieces that will be integrated into the immersive SoHigh Gallery space. These works will bring the gallery to life alongside light projections and music for an evening of 'heightened simulation'. DJ Nick Murray, one-half of Melbourne duo Otologic, will be on hand to provide the soundtrack, while Dreamcatchersdreamtime's George Barnes will also perform his own funky set. The Miller Design Lab x Dreamcatchersdreamtime will run from 7–10pm on Saturday, March 23. To RSVP for complimentary tickets for you and three mates, enter your details below. And if you want to check out the rest of the Miller Design Lab events, head this way. [competition]709913[/competition] Follow @millergenuinedraftaus for more details. Images: Kitti Gould.
2022 marks four years since the Queen Victoria Market's new Munro development was officially given the green light — and, in the coming months, you'll have a few delicious reasons to stop by. Like craft brews? Sushi? Coffee? Chocolate? Impressive places devoted to all of them have just been announced among the precinct's first batch of hospitality tenants. Beer lovers will want to make a date with Brick Lane Market, which'll hail from Brick Lane Brewing, unsurprisingly. The independent brewer will sprawl across a two-level space within the former Mercat Cross Hotel site, and serve up a menu that spans beer in a range of styles — of course — plus a locally focused, market-fresh food menu. Then, there's Moonfishh's latest venue, which is set to immerse more than just your tastebuds. The sushi on offer will also use fresh and seasonal market produce; 'tis the place for it, obviously. Caffeine fiends can get excited about Market Lane Coffee opening its third cafe — and also about St Ali and The Queen, a coffee and cocktail venue. By day, the latter will do breakfast and lunch. By night, it'll sling booze. And, clearly, specialty coffee roastery St Ali is behind it. Also on the list: Only Mine Chocolate, with the bespoke chocolatier setting up its first city location. And, all these newcomers to QVM's Munro development will join wine bar and bottle shop ReWine, which is already trading onsite. More tenants are still to be revealed, as are opening dates; however, whenever they swing open their doors — and whichever other spots do as well — the Munro development is a mighty big deal. Taking over the site that, up until 2017, housed The Mercat, the $500 million community hub will boast 1800 square metres of new retail and hospitality space, all on top of the Queen Victoria Market's existing setup. It'll also span 2500 square metres of new open space, and include a new three-level library with a rooftop terrace and a boutique hotel, as well as affordable housing and build-to-rent residential apartments. And, since July 2021, a new 500-space market car park has been open onsite, too. The Munro development makes up a significant part of the ongoing Queen Victoria Market renewal project, but that's not all that's been happening at QVM. Further upgrades to the Queen Victoria Market's historic sheds and food hall have also been announced, and a new two-year pop-up park for the precinct launched at the end of 2021. Located at Queen Victoria Market, Munro development's just-announced hospitality venues will start opening in the coming months. For more information about the precinct, head to the City of Melbourne and Queen Victoria Market websites.
Ever wanted an extra few minutes in bed on Monday morning? A new Sydney-based startup is offering you this opportunity with a new app that lets you customise, order and pay for your coffee and breakfast before you even arrive at the cafe door. Beat The Q, as the name suggests, allows customers to beat those dreary queues for your morning latte and vegemite toast. After you set up an account, Beat The Q searches for nearby cafes. Select a venue, and then you can order your coffee and food through a simple online menu. Follow the steps to finalise the order, and it will be ready for pick up without any of the awkward standing around in never-ending lines. With the ability to order while you're still in bed or riding on the bus, this is sure to shave a couple of minutes off your hectic morning schedule. Beat The Q is now being offered by over 30 cafes in Sydney, including Toby's Estate, Sonoma Baking Company, Pablo and Rusty's and Little Marionette cafes. The company's founder, Adam Theobald, states that the app was "born out of a love for coffee, and dislike of queues", something we are all too familiar with. Furthermore, it was created to address "current trends, including longer work hours and a shift towards a cashless society." Indeed, this is another way that technology is making our lives just a little cushier. Watch for more of your favourite cafes to be offering this quick and convenient method of ordering. With Beat The Q, it's certain that your coffee is going to taste just that little bit sweeter. You can grab the app from the iTunes store now.
Jimmy Chin is no stranger to peering at the world from angles that most folks don't see. He's also familiar with hitting peaks. As a mountain athlete, scaling great heights has been his job; however, the above descriptions also apply to his work as a filmmaker. With his partner Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, he won the Best Documentary Feature Oscar for Free Solo. Before that, the pair took home an audience award at Sundance for the also climbing-focused Meru. The Rescue, their doco about the efforts to free 12 Thai schoolboys and their soccer coach from the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system, earned them more acclaim — and both Annette Bening (Apples Never Fall) and Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country) scored Academy Award noms for starring in the duo's feature debut Nyad. Get Chin talking, then, and he'll clearly have much to discuss — about his work as a director and a mountaineer alike. On his first appearance in Australia, he'll be doing just that at Sydney Film Festival and Vivid Sydney. The two events are co-hosting Beyond the Summit with Jimmy Chin, where the Oscar-winner, National Geographic photographer and author will be behind the microphone for one night only. [caption id="attachment_706085" align="alignnone" width="1920"] National Geographic/Jimmy Chin[/caption] How does someone who clambers up mountains then become a celebrated documentarian? How did skills in the former help with the latter — not just when climbing is the focus on-screen, as was clearly the case with Meru, and also with Free Solo's chronicle of Alex Honnold's El Capitan ascent sans ropes, but in general? Why do extraordinary feats, including Diana Nyad's 110-mile ocean swim, appeal to Chin as a filmmaker? They're just some of the threads that this in-conversation session, which is taking place on Friday, June 13, 2025 at Sydney Town Hall, might cover. Chin will dig into shooting in extreme conditions, too, alongside how being a professional adventurer influences the way he sees the natural world on film. [caption id="attachment_833518" align="alignnone" width="1920"] National Geographic[/caption] "I'm excited to be a part of Vivid Sydney and the Sydney Film Festival this year. It's a great way to celebrate storytelling and creative risk-taking, which have both shaped my life in the mountains and behind the camera. To share my experiences in one of the world's most iconic cities is an incredible opportunity," said Chin about his upcoming trip Down Under. "Vivid Sydney's collaboration with Sydney Film Festival this year helps bolster the calibre of both festivals and this event is testament to that. Jimmy Chin is a captivating creative with an equally impressive resume, and this conversation promises to be one to remember," added Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini. "Jimmy Chin's work sits at the intersection of art, athleticism and ambition. His films are as exhilarating as they are emotionally resonant, and we're honoured to welcome him to Sydney for this one-of-a-kind conversation," noted SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley. [caption id="attachment_945212" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley French/Netflix ©2023[/caption] Sydney Film Festival and Vivid Sydney have a number of collaborations on their 2025 slates, including a screening of Justin Kurzel (The Narrow Road to the Deep North)-directed documentary Ellis Park, about iconic musician Warren Ellis establishing an animal sanctuary to protect endangered species in Sumatra, plus An Evening with Warren Ellis at City Recital Hall. At the first, at the State Theatre, audiences will obviously see the film. Afterwards, its subject — a Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds collaborator and Dirty Three founder, as well as a pivotal force in movie scores, including on The Proposition, The Road, Far From Men, Mustang, Hell or High Water, The Velvet Queen, The New Boy, Back to Black, Kid Snow and newly minted Oscar-winner I'm Still Here — will chat about the doco, and also put on a short musical performance. Then there's Planet City: Live. Courtesy of designer and director Liam Young, the speculative fiction experience takes attendees to a different future — one where humanity has responded to the environmental destruction of the planet in a decisive fashion. Young's film is set at a time where there's just one city, which is where everyone on earth resides, with the rest of the globe left to rewild. At SFF, Young will provide live narration for the film, while Forest Swords will play its score live as Planet City screens. All of the above are just a taste of Sydney Film Festival's program, which has unveiled a few other sneak peeks so far — a batch of other initial titles, a Jafar Panahi retrospective and Together as the opening-night flick, for starters — in advance of the full lineup releasing on Wednesday, May 7. Check out the trailers for Meru, Free Solo, The Rescue and Nyad below: Beyond the Summit with Jimmy Chin takes place on Friday, June 13, 2025 at Sydney Town Hall — head to the Sydney Film Festival website for tickets. Sydney Film Festival 2025 runs from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at cinemas across Sydney. Hit up the festival website for further information and tickets — and check back in with Concrete Playground on Wednesday, May 7 for the full lineup. Vivid Sydney 2025 runs from Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14 across Sydney. Head to the festival website for further information.
My high school art teacher would call Esther Mitchell a sicko. She thought it of all hard-edge artists, and I suppose I can understand. The process must be painstaking — forever trying to remove any trace of the artist's hand. The artwork's final sheen harbouring no trace of free movement or sporadic whim. But there's something beautiful to it as well. The clean lines, the methodically organised colour — it's a perfectionist's dream. It's clear to see this beauty in Esther Mitchell's work, and her new exhibition, Geometric Colour, should be no exception. In a dynamic fusion of art, craft, and design, Mitchell creates bold and entrancing works that explore the relationship between — you guessed it — geometry and colour. But through these simple means, the work also explores the nature of objects as a whole. Each artwork breaks down the visual plane into seemingly disparate elements and exposes how they are able to interact and bounce off one another. Far from what you may have learnt in Year 10 mathematics, geometry can in fact be engaging, and this new exhibition is your best chance to embrace it.
The CBD's much-loved Korean BBQ joint, Mansae, has made its way into the suburbs — with a new sibling venue landing in Burwood East earlier this month. To celebrate the opening of Mansae's second location, the team is hosting a meat-filled happy hour every weekday between 5pm-6pm, until Wednesday, May 31. Offering an expanded menu and bigger dining space for KBBQ lovers, patrons that head in from 5pm can nab a plate of $10 Australian wagyu beef belly. Other wagyu highlights on the menu include the buttery 9+ marble striploin ($43) and fan-favourite thinly-sliced short ribs ($43). Further down the menu you find free-range pork belly ($24), ox tongue ($28) and Wagyu yukhoe ($29), the Korean version of beef tartare. Hot pot ($45) is also available for those craving something seasonal to suit Melbourne's current arctic weather. Images: Griffin Simm.
Every year since 2007, millions of people throughout the world collectively shut off the lights for one hour to support environmental sustainability. Known as Earth Hour, this 60 minutes of darkness has reached over 125 countries and major landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Rome's Colosseum and Toronto's CN Tower. This year, Earth Hour will take place on March 26 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. local time, creating an hourly wave of support as the blackout hits each time zone. But how much change can a single hour make? Although Earth Hour serves its purpose by creating a universal initiative to save the planet, for the past four years the effort never seemed go beyond that one hour. 2011 has the potential to be different. In 2011, we hope to extend environment-friendly living beyond a single hour of darkness. Beyond the Hour is a platform that encourages individuals, governments and organisations to post pledges using various social networks about how they will decrease their carbon footprint in their everyday lives. Pledges can be as simple as recycling, carpooling, using reusable bags or shutting off the water when brushing your teeth.The Beyond the Hour platform has already been released as an iPhone application called 60+, where users can click "do this" next to others' pledges that they like and agree to do the same. It's hard to believe that cutting a few showers shorter will make a big difference in sustaining a positive future for Earth. But when small changes are made by a large group of people, that little bit of effort can go a long way. https://youtube.com/watch?v=MyTe66KY7SY
Being a kid and loving spooky movies was glorious in 1993. That year three decades back gave the world two beloved all-ages-friendly flicks that have become October staples ever since — and, in one case, suitable festive viewing as well. One came with Tim Burton's name attached. The other told everyone to run amok, amok, amok. Now, to celebrate their 30th anniversaries, both The Nightmare Before Christmas and Hocus Pocus are returning to cinemas. Moviegovers can see Jack Skellington's antics on the big screen Down Under again from Thursday, October 12, and the Sanderson sisters wreaking havoc from Thursday, October 19. As for which actual picture palaces are playing the films, and at what times, you'll need to check your local — but nostalgia and family-friendly scares will be whirring through the projectors once more. With The Nightmare Before Christmas, filmmakers Tim Burton and Henry Selick (Wendell & Wild) served up one of the most enchanting holiday films to hit the big screen — and one that doubles as both Halloween and Christmas viewing. It's Burton's name that everyone remembers; however, a pre-Coraline Selick is actually in the director's chair on The Nightmare Before Christmas, which charms with both its offbeat story and its gorgeous stop-motion animation. Burton came up with the narrative though, because Jack Skellington only could've originated from the Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands filmmaker's brain. Imaginative, original and engaging (even as it nods to Dr Seuss a few times), it still remains a treat for all ages. [caption id="attachment_921880" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Disney.[/caption] The Hocus Pocus franchise is no stranger to comebacks, given that it dropped a 29-years-later sequel on streaming in 2022, with a third film also on the way. Helmed by Kenny Ortega before the director gave the world the High School Musical movies, the OG flick was the first to enlist Bette Midler (The Addams Family 2), Sarah Jessica Parker (And Just Like That...) and Kathy Najimy (Music) as Winnie, Sarah and Mary Sanderson — and to unleash them in modern-day Salem. Back then, someone lit the black flame candle, which resurrected the 17th-century sisters in the movie's world — and had viewers warned about locking up their children. If you have "twist the bones and bend the back" stuck in your head just thinking about it, you're obviously a fan. Check out the trailers for The Nightmare Before Christmas and Hocus Pocus below: The Nightmare Before Christmas is returning to cinemas Down Under from Thursday, October 12, and Hocus Pocus from Thursday, October 19 — head to your local cinema for details. Images: Matt Kennedy. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures and plenty of people staying home in iso will do that — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you've had a close-contact run-in. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are 18 that you can watch right now at home. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE Imagine living in a universe where Michelle Yeoh isn't the wuxia superstar she is. No, no one should want to dwell in that reality. Now, envisage a world where everyone has hot dogs for fingers, including the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon icon. Next, picture another where Ratatouille is real, but with raccoons. Then, conjure up a sparse realm where life only exists in sentient rocks. An alternative to this onslaught of pondering: watching Everything Everywhere All At Once, which throws all of the above at the screen and a helluva lot more. Yes, its title is marvellously appropriate. Written and directed by the Daniels, aka Swiss Army Man's Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, this multiverse-hopping wonder is a funhouse of a film that just keeps spinning through wild and wacky ideas. Instead of asking "what if Daniel Radcliffe was a farting corpse that could be used as a jet ski?" as their also-surreal debut flick did, the pair now muses on Yeoh, her place in the universe, and everyone else's along with her. Although Yeoh doesn't play herself in Everything Everywhere All At Once, she is seen as herself; keep an eye out for red-carpet footage from her Crazy Rich Asians days. Such glitz and glamour isn't the norm for middle-aged Chinese American woman Evelyn Wang, her laundromat-owning character in the movie's main timeline, but it might've been if life had turned out differently. That's such a familiar train of thought — a resigned sigh we've all emitted, even if only when alone — and the Daniels use it as their foundation. Their film starts with Evelyn, her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom's Short Round and The Goonies' Data) and a hectic time. Evelyn's dad (James Hong, Turning Red) is visiting from China, the Wangs' daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) brings her girlfriend Becky (Tallie Medel, The Carnivores) home, and IRS inspector Deirdre Beaubeirdra (Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween Kills) is conducting a punishing audit. Then Evelyn learns she's the only one who can save, well, everything, everywhere and everyone. Everything Everywhere All At Once is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE LOST CITY Sometimes, they do still make 'em like they used to: action-adventure rom-coms in this case. Drive a DeLorean back to 1984, to the year before Robert Zemeckis made DeLoreans one of the most famous types of movie cars ever, and the director's Romancing the Stone did huge box-office business — and it's that hit that The Lost City keenly tries to emulate. This new Sandra Bullock- and Channing Tatum-starring romp doesn't hide that aim for a second, and even uses the same broad overall setup. Once again, a lonely romance novelist is swept up in a chaotic adventure involving treasure, a jungle-hopping jaunt and a stint of kidnapping, aka exactly what she writes about in her best-selling books. The one big change: the writer is held hostage, rather than her sister. But if you've seen Romancing the Stone, you know what you're in for. As penned by writer/director duo directors Aaron and Adam Nee (Band of Robbers) with Oren Uziel (Mortal Kombat) and Dana Fox (Cruella) — based on a story by Baywatch director Seth Gordon — The Lost City's plot is ridiculously easy to spot. Also, it's often flat-out ridiculous. Anyone who has ever seen any kind of flick along the same lines, such as Jungle Cruise most recently, will quickly see that Loretta Sage (Bullock, The Unforgivable), this movie's protagonist, could've written it herself. Once she finds herself living this type of narrative, that truth isn't lost on her, either. First, though, she's five years into a grief-stricken reclusive spell, and is only out in the world promoting her new release because her publisher Beth (Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The United States vs Billie Holiday) forces her to. She's also far from happy at being stuck once again with the man who has been sharing her limelight over the years, Fabio-style model Alan (Tatum, Dog), who has graced her book's covers and had women falling over themselves to lust-read their pages. And Loretta is hardly thrilled about the whole spectacle that becomes her latest Q&A as a result, and that makes her a distracted easy mark for billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe, Guns Akimbo) afterwards. The Lost City is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. MEMORIA When Memoria begins, it echoes with a thud that's not only booming and instantly arresting — a clamour that'd make anyone stop and listen — but is also deeply haunting. It arrives with a noise that, if the movie's opening scene was a viral clip rather than part of Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul's spectacular Cannes Jury Prize-winning feature, it'd be tweeted around with a familiar message: sound on. The racket wakes up Jessica Holland (Tilda Swinton, The Souvenir: Part II) in the night, and it's soon all that she can think about; like character, like film. It's a din that she later describes as "a big ball of concrete that falls into a metal well which is surrounded by seawater"; however, that doesn't help her work out what it is, where it's coming from or why it's reverberating. The other question that starts to brood: is she the only one who can hear it? So springs a feature that's all about listening, and truly understands that while movies are innately visual — they're moving pictures, hence the term — no one should forget the audio that's gone with it for nearly a century now. Watching Weerasethakul's work has always engaged the ears intently, with the writer/director behind the Palme d'Or-winning Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives and just-as-lyrical Cemetery of Splendour crafting cinema that genuinely values all that the filmic format can offer. Enjoying Memoria intuitively serves up a reminder of how crucial sound can be to that experience, emphasising the cavernous chasm between pictures that live and breathe such a truth and those that could simply be pictures. Of course, feasting on Weerasethakul's films has also always been about appreciating not only cinema in all its wonders, but as an inimitable art form. Like the noise that lingers in his protagonist's brain here, his movies aren't easily forgotten. Memoria is available to stream via SBS On Demand. Read our full review. AFTER YANG What flickers in a robot's circuitry in its idle moments has fascinated the world for decades, famously so in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049. In writer/director/editor Kogonada's (TV series Pachinko) After Yang, one machine appears to long for everything humans do. The titular Yang (Justin H Min, The Umbrella Academy) was bought to give Kyra (Jodie Turner-Smith, Queen & Slim) and Jake's (Colin Farrell, The Batman) adopted Chinese daughter Mika (Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, iCarly) a technosapien brother, babysitter, companion and purveyor of "fun facts" about her heritage. He dotes amid his duties, perennially calm and loving, and clearly an essential part of the family. What concerns his wiring beyond his assigned tasks doesn't interest anyone, though, until he stops operating. Mika is distressed, and Kyra and Jake are merely inconvenienced initially, but the latter pledges to figure out how to fix Yang — which is where his desires factor in. Yang is unresponsive and unable to play his usual part as the household's robotic fourth member. If Jake can't get him up and running quickly, he'll also experience the "cultural techno" version of dying, his humanoid skin even decomposing. That puts a deadline on a solution, which isn't straightforward, particularly given that Yang was bought from a now-shuttered reseller secondhand, rather than from the manufacturer anew. Tinkering with the android's black box is also illegal, although Jake is convinced to anyway by a repairman (Ritchie Coster, The Flight Attendant). He acquiesces not only because it's what Mika desperately wants, but because he's told that Yang might possess spyware — aka recordings of the family — that'd otherwise become corporate property. After Yang is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. AMBULANCE Following a high-stakes Los Angeles bank robbery that goes south swiftly, forcing two perpetrators to hijack an EMT vehicle — while a paramedic tries to save a shot cop's life as the van flees the LAPD and the FBI, too — Ambulance is characteristically ridiculous. Although based on the 2005 Danish film Ambulancen, it's a Michael Bay from go to whoa; screenwriter and feature newcomer Chris Fedak (TV's Chuck, Prodigal Son) even references his director's past movies in the dialogue. The first time, when The Rock is mentioned, it's done in a matter-of-fact way that's as brazen as anything Bay has ever achieved when his flicks defy the laws of physics. In the second instance mere minutes later, it's perhaps the most hilarious thing he's put in his movies. It's worth remembering that Divinyls' 'I Touch Myself' was one of his music-clip jobs; Bay sure does love what only he can thrust onto screens, and he wants audiences to know it while adoring it as well. Ambulance's key duo, brothers Will (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, The Matrix Resurrections) and Danny Sharp (Jake Gyllenhaal, The Guilty), are a former Marine and ostensible luxury-car dealer/actual career criminal with hugely different reasons for attempting to pilfer a $32-million payday. For the unemployed Will, it's about the cash needed to pay for his wife Amy's (Moses Ingram, The Tragedy of Macbeth) experimental surgery, which his veteran's health insurance won't cover — but his sibling just wants money. Will is reluctant but desperate, Danny couldn't be more eager, and both race through a mess of a day. Naturally, it gets more hectic when they're hurtling along as the hotshot Cam (Eiza González, Godzilla vs Kong) works on wounded rookie police officer Zach (Jackson White, The Space Between), arm-deep in his guts at one point, while Captain Monroe (Garrett Dillahunt, Army of the Dead), Agent Anson Clark (Keir O'Donnell, The Dry) and their forces are in hot pursuit. Ambulance is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT "Nic fuckiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing Cage." That's how the man himself utters his name in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and he knows what he's about. Now four decades into his acting career to the year — after making his film debut in Fast Times at Ridgemont High under his actual name Nicolas Coppola, playing a bit-part character who didn't even get a moniker — Cage is keenly aware of exactly what he's done on-screen over that time, and in what, and why and how. He also knows how the world has responded, with that recognition baked into every second of his his latest movie. He plays himself, dubbed Nick Cage. He cycles through action-hero Cage, comically OTT Cage, floppy-haired 80s- and 90s-era Cage, besuited Cage, neurotic Cage and more in the process. And, as he winks, nods, and bobs and weaves through a lifetime of all things Cage, he's a Cage-tastic delight to watch. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent does have a narrative around all that Cage as Cage, as penned by writer/director Tom Gormican (Are We Officially Dating?) and co-scribe Kevin Etten (Kevin Can F**K Himself). Here, the man who could eat a peach for days in Face/Off would do anything for as long as he needed to if he could lock in a weighty new part. The fictionalised Cage isn't happy with his roles of late, as he complains to his agent (Neil Patrick Harris, The Matrix Resurrections), but directors aren't buying what he's enthusiastically selling. He has debts and other art-parodies-life problems, though, plus an ex-wife (Sharon Horgan, This Way Up) and a teen daughter (Lily Sheen, IRL daughter of Kate Beckinsale and Michael Sheen). So, he reluctantly takes a $1-million gig he wishes he didn't have to: flying to southern Spain to hang out with billionaire Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal, The Bubble), who is such a Cage diehard that he even has his own mini museum filled with Cage memorabilia, and has also written a screenplay he wants Cage to star in. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE SOUVENIR: PART II In showbusiness, nepotism is as inescapable as movies about movies. Both are accounted for in The Souvenir: Part II. But when talents as transcendent as Honor Swinton Byrne, her mother Tilda Swinton and writer/director Joanna Hogg are involved — with the latter working with the elder Swinton since her first short, her graduation piece Caprice, back in 1986 before Honor was even born — neither family ties nor filmmaking navel-gazing feel like something routine. Why this isn't a surprise with this trio is right there in the movie's name, after the initial The Souvenir proved such a devastatingly astute gem in 2019. It was also simply devastating, following an aspiring director's romance with a charismatic older man through to its traumatic end. Both in its masterful narrative and its profound impact, Part II firmly picks up where its predecessor left off. In just her third film role — first working with her mum in 2009's I Am Love before The Souvenir and now this — Swinton Byrne again plays 80s-era filmmaking student Julie Harte. But there's now a numbness to the wannabe helmer after her boyfriend Anthony's (Tom Burke, Mank) death, plus soul-wearying shock after discovering the double life he'd been living that her comfortable and cosy worldview hadn't conditioned her to ever expect. Decamping to the Norfolk countryside, to her family home and to the warm but entirely upper-middle-class, stiff-upper-lip embrace of her well-to-do parents Rosalind (Swinton, The French Dispatch) and William (James Spencer Ashworth) is only a short-term solution, however. Julie's thesis film still needs to be made — yearns to pour onto celluloid, in fact — but that's hardly a straightforward task. The Souvenir: Part II is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. RRR The letters in RRR's title are short for Rise Roar Revolt. They could also stand for riveting, rollicking and relentless. They link in with the Indian action movie's three main forces, too — writer/director SS Rajamouli (Baahubali: The Beginning), plus stars NT Rama Rao Jr (Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava) and Ram Charan (Vinaya Vidheya Rama) — and could describe the sound of some of its standout moments. What noise echoes when a motorcycle is used in a bridge-jumping rescue plot, as aided by a horse and the Indian flag, amid a crashing train? Or when a truck full of wild animals is driven into a decadent British colonialist shindig and its caged menagerie unleashed? What racket resounds when a motorbike figures again, this time tossed around by hand (yes, really) to knock out those imperialists, and then an arrow is kicked through a tree into someone's head? Or, when the movie's two leads fight, shoot, leap over walls and get acrobatic, all while one is sat on the other's shoulders? RRR isn't subtle. Instead, it's big, bright, boisterous, boldly energetic, and brazenly unapologetic about how OTT and hyperactive it is. The 187-minute Tollywood action epic — complete with huge musical numbers, of course — is also a vastly captivating pleasure to watch. Narrative-wise, it follows the impact of the British Raj (aka England's rule over the subcontinent between 1858–1947), especially upon two men. In the 1920s, Bheem (Jr NTR, as Rao is known) is determined to rescue young fellow villager Malli (first-timer Twinkle Sharma), after she's forcibly taken by Governor Scott Buxton (Ray Stevenson, Vikings) and his wife Catherine (Alison Doody, Beaver Falls) for no reason but they're powerful and they can. Officer Raju (Charan) is tasked by the crown with making sure Bheem doesn't succeed in rescuing the girl, and also keeping India's population in their place because their oppressors couldn't be more prejudiced. RRR is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. THE DUKE Back in 1962, in the first-ever Bond film Dr No, the suave, Scottish-accented, Sean Connery-starring version of 007 admires a painting in the eponymous evil villain's underwater lair. That picture: Francisco Goya's Portrait of the Duke of Wellington. The artwork itself is very much real, too, although the genuine article doesn't appear in the feature. Even if the filmmakers had wanted to use the actual piece, it was missing at the time. In fact, making a joke about that exact situation is why the portrait is even referenced in Dr No. That's quite the situation: the debut big-screen instalment in one of cinema's most famous and longest-running franchises, and a saga about super spies and formidable villains at that, including a gag about a real-life art heist. The truth behind the painting's disappearance is even more fantastical, however, as The Duke captures. The year prior to Bond's first martini, a mere 19 days after the early 19th-century Goya piece was put on display in the National Gallery in London, the portrait was stolen. Unsurprisingly, the pilfering earned plenty of attention — especially given that the government-owned institution had bought the picture for the hefty sum of £140,000, which'd likely be almost £3 million today. International master criminals were suspected. Years passed, two more 007 movies hit cinemas, and there was zero sign of the artwork or the culprit. And, that might've remained the case if eccentric Newcastle sexagenarian Kempton Bunton (played here by Six Minutes to Midnight's Jim Broadbent) hadn't turned himself in in 1965. As seen in this wild caper from filmmaker Roger Michell (My Cousin Rachel, Blackbird), Bunton advised that he'd gotten light-fingered in protest at the obscene amount spent on Portrait of the Duke of Wellington using taxpayer funds — money that could've been better deployed to provide pensioners with TV licenses, a cause he had openly campaigned for (and even been imprisoned over after refusing to pay his own television fee). The Duke is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. WASH MY SOUL IN THE RIVER'S FLOW A silent hero and a rowdy troublemaker. That's what Ruby Hunter calls Archie Roach, her partner in life and sometimes music, then characterises herself. She offers those words casually, as if she's merely breathing, with an accompanying smile and a glint in her eyes as she talks. They aren't the only thoughts uttered in Wash My Soul in the River's Flow, which intersperses concert and rehearsal clips with chats with Hunter and Roach, plus snippets of biographical details from and recollections about their lives as intertitles, and then majestic footage of the winding Murray River in Ngarrindjeri Country, where Hunter was born, too. Still, even before those two-word descriptions are mentioned, the film shows how they resonate within couple's relationship. Watching their dynamic, which had ebbed and flowed over three-plus decades when the movie's footage was shot in 2004, it's plain to see how these two icons of Australian music are dissimilar in personality and yet intertwine harmoniously. Every relationship is perched upon interlocking personalities: how well they complement each other, where their differences blend seamlessly and how their opposing traits spark challenges in the best possible ways. Every song, too, is a balance of disparate but coordinated pieces. And, every ecosystem on the planet also fits the bill. With Hunter and Roach as its focus, Wash My Soul in the River's Flow contemplates all three — love, music and Country — all through 2004 concert Kura Tungar — Songs from the River. Recorded for the documentary at Melbourne's Hamer Hall, that gig series interlaced additional parts, thanks to a collaboration with Paul Grabowsky's 22-piece Australian Art Orchestra — and the movie that producer-turned-writer/director Philippa Bateman makes of it, and about two Indigenous stars, their experience as members of Australia's Stolen Generations, their ties to Country and their love, is equally, gloriously and mesmerisingly multifaceted. Wash My Soul in the River's Flow is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BLIND AMBITION From fleeing Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe to taking their nation's first-ever team to the World Wine Blind Testing Championships in Burgundy, Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon have quite the story to tell. The quartet met in South Africa, where they each individually made their home long before they crossed paths. They all also found themselves working with wine, despite not drinking it as Pentecostal Christians — and, in the process, they discovered a knack for an industry they mightn't have even contemplated otherwise. That's the tale that Blind Ambition relays, and it's a rousing and moving one. Indeed, it won't come as a surprise that the movie won Australian filmmakers Warwick Ross and Rob Coe (Red Obsession) the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival Audience Award for Best Feature Documentary. Blind wine testing is a serious business; the first word isn't slang for inebriation, but describes how teams sample an array of wines without knowing what they're drinking. Then, they must pick everything from the country to the vintage to the varietal within two minutes of sipping. As stressed both verbally and visually throughout the doco, there's a specific — and very white — crowd for this endeavour. Accordingly, Team Zimbabwe instantly stands out. Heralding diversity is one of their achievements; their infectious joy, pride and enthusiasm for the field, for competing at the Olympics of the wine world, for the fact that their plight has taken them from refugees to finding a new calling, and for opening up the world to African vino, is just as resonant. Blind Ambition is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE What a difference Mads Mikkelsen can make. What a difference the stellar Danish actor can't, too. The Another Round and Riders of Justice star enjoys his Wizarding World debut in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, taking over the part of evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald's Johnny Depp — who did the same from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them's Colin Farrell first, albeit in a scripted change — and he's impressively sinister and engagingly insidious in the role. He needs to be: his fascist character, aka the 1930s-set movie's magical version of Hitler, wants to eradicate muggles. He's also keen to grab power however he must to do so. But a compelling casting switch can't conjure up the winning wonder needed to power an almost two-and-a-half-hour film in a flailing franchise, even one that's really just accioing already-devoted Harry Potter fans into cinemas. Nearly four years have passed since The Crimes of Grindelwald hit cinemas, but its successor picks up its wand where that dull sequel left off. That means reuniting with young Albus Dumbledore, who was the best thing about the last feature thanks to Jude Law (The Third Day) following smoothly in Michael Gambon and Richard Harris' footsteps. And, it means explaining that Dumbledore and Grindelwald pledged not to harm each other years earlier, which precludes any fray between them now. Enter magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne, The Trial of the Chicago 7) and his pals. Well, most of them. Newt's assistant Bunty (Victoria Yeates, Call the Midwife), brother Theseus (Callum Turner, Emma), No-Maj mate Jacob (Dan Fogler, The Walking Dead), Hogwarts professor Lally (Jessica Williams, Love Life) and Leta Lestrange's brother Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam, Stillwater) are accounted for, while former friend Queenie (Alison Sudol, The Last Full Measure) has defected to Grindelwald. As for the latter's sister Tina (Katherine Waterston, The World to Come), she's spirited aside, conspicuously sitting Operation Avoid Muggle Genocide out. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. NOBODY HAS TO KNOW Before Belgian actor and filmmaker Bouli Lanners started gracing screens big and small — writing and directing projects for the former as well — he trained as a painter. If you didn't know that fact, it'd be easy to guess while watching Nobody Has to Know. He helms and scripts, as he did 2011 Cannes award-winner The Giant, plus 2016's The First, the Last. He acts, as he has in everything from A Very Long Engagement and Rust and Bone to Raw and Bye Bye Morons. But it's the careful eye he brings to all that fills Nobody Has to Know's frames that immediately leaves an impression, starting with simply staring at the windswept Scottish scenery that provides the movie's backdrop. It's picturesque but also ordinary, finding visual poetry in the scenic and sweeping and yet also everyday. That's what the feature does with its slow-burning romantic narrative, too. On a remote island, Philippe Haubin (Lanners) has made a humble home. Working as a farmhand, he stands out with his arms covered in tattoos and his accent, but he's also been welcomed into the close-knit community. And, when he's found on the beach after suffering a stroke, his friends swiftly rally around — his younger colleague Brian (Andrew Still, Waterloo Road), who spreads the word; the latter's aunt Millie (Michelle Fairley, Game of Thrones), who ferries him around town; and her stern father Angus (Julian Glover, The Toll), who welcomes him back to work once he's out of hospital. But Phil returns with amnesia, which unsurprisingly complicates his daily interactions. He doesn't know what Brian means when he jokes about Phil now being the island's Jason Bourne, he has no idea if the dog in his house is his own, and he has no knowledge of any past, or not, with Millie. Nobody Has to Know is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. MORBIUS Jumping into the Sony Shared Universe from the DCEU — that'd be the DC Extended Universe, the pictures based around Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad and the like (but not including Joker or The Batman) — Jared Leto plays Morbius' eponymous figure. A renowned scientist, Dr Michael Morbius has a keen interest in the red liquid pumping through humans' veins stemming from his own health issues. As seen in early scenes set during his childhood, young Michael (Charlie Shotwell, The Nest) was a sickly kid in a medical facility thanks to a rare disease that stops him from producing new blood. There, under the care of Dr Emil Nikols (Jared Harris, Foundation), he befriended another unwell boy (debutant Joseph Esson), showed his smarts and earned a prestigious scholarship. As an adult, he now refuses the Nobel Prize for creating artificial plasma, then tries to cure himself using genes from vampire bats. Morbius sports an awkward tone that filmmaker Daniel Espinosa (Life) can't overcome; its namesake may be a future big-screen baddie, but he's also meant to be this sympathetic flick's hero — and buying either is a stretch. In the overacting Leto's hands, he's too tedious to convince as a threat or someone to root for. He's too gleefully eccentric to resemble anything more than a skit at Leto's expense, too. Indeed, evoking any interest in Morbius' inner wrestling (because saving his own life with his experimental procedure comes at a bloodsucking cost) proves plodding. It does take a special set of skills to make such OTT displays so pedestrian at best, though, and that's a talent that Leto keeps showing to the misfortune of movie-goers. He offers more restraint here than in Suicide Squad (not to be confused with The Suicide Squad), The Little Things, House of Gucci or streaming series WeCrashed, but his post-Dallas Buyers Club Oscar-win resume remains dire — Blade Runner 2049 being the sole exception. Morbius is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 It was true in the 90s, and it remains that way now: when Jim Carrey lets loose, thrusting the entire might of his OTT comedic powers onto the silver screen, it's an unparalleled sight to behold. It doesn't always work, and he's a spectacular actor when putting in a toned-down or even serious performance — see: The Truman Show, The Majestic, I Love You Phillip Morris and his best work ever, the sublime Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — but there's a reason that the Ace Venture flicks, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber were some of the biggest movies made three decades back. Carrey is now a rarity in cinemas, but one franchise has been reminding viewers what his full-throttle comic efforts look like. Sadly, he's also the best thing about the resulting films, even if they're hardly his finest work. That was accurate in 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog, and it's the same of sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 — which once again focuses on the speedy video game character but couldn't feel like more of a drag. The first Sonic movie established its namesake's life on earth, as well as his reason for being here. Accordingly, the blue-hued planet-hopping hedgehog (voiced by The Afterparty's Ben Schwartz) already made friends with small-town sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden, The Stand). He already upended the Montana resident's life, too, including Tom's plans to move to San Francisco with his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter, Mixed-ish). And, as well as eventually becoming a loveable member of the Wachowski family, Sonic also wreaked havoc with his rapid pace, and earned the wrath of the evil Dr Robotnik (Carrey, Kidding) in the process. More of the same occurs this time around, with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 taking a more-is-more approach. There's a wedding to ruin, magic gems to find and revenge on the part of Robotnik. He's teamed up with super-strong echidna Knuckles (voiced by The Harder They Fall's Idris Elba), in fact, while Sonic gets help from smart-but-shy fox Tails (voice-acting veteran Colleen O'Shaughnessey). Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. DEADLY CUTS The Full Monty wasn't the first to do it, and it definitely hasn't been the last. But for the quarter century since that crowd-pleasing comedy became an enormous worldwide hit, British movies about underdogs banding together to save their livelihoods and communities have no longer been scrappy battlers themselves. Irish film Deadly Cuts is the latest, joining an ever-growing pile that also includes everything from Calendar Girls to Swimming with Men — and first-time feature writer/director Rachel Carey knows the formula she's playing with. Each such picture needs to be set in a distinctive world, follow a close-knit group, see them face an apparently insurmountable task and serve up a big public spectacle that promises redemption, and every step in that recipe is covered here. But a movie can stick to a clear template and still boast enough spirit to make even the creakiest of plot inclusions feel likely and entertaining enough, and that's this low-budget affair from start to finish. It does raise a smile that AhhHair, the glamorous hairdressing contest that Deadly Cuts' main characters want to enter and win, is all about innovation in its chosen form. The movie itself would never emerge victorious at such a competition, but it's filled with broad, blackly comic fun along the way, even if it boasts about as much subtlety as a mohawk. The setting: Piglington, Dublin, an as-yet-ungentrified corner of the Irish capital, where the titular salon is a mainstay. The aim: saving the shop from being torn down and replaced with shiny new apartments. The wholly predictable complications: the determination of corrupt local politician Darryl Flynn (Aidan McArdle, The Fall) to forge ahead with the development, which'll boost his bank account; and the suburb-scaring thugs led by the overbearing Deano (Ian Lloyd Anderson, Herself), who throw their weight around at every chance they get. Deadly Cuts is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. IT SNOWS IN BENIDORM Forty-four years have passed since Timothy Spall first graced the silver screen — and what a gift he's given both cinema and television since. He won Cannes Best Actor prize for Mr Turner, earned five BAFTA nominations in five years between 1997–2002, popped up in lively Aussie crime flick Gettin' Square, stole every scene he was in in The Party and recently proved formidable in Spencer. He has everything from multiple Harry Potter movies to playing Winston Churchill in The King's Speech on his resume, too, and also routinely improves whatever he's in with his presence alone. In fact, he does exactly that with It Snows in Benidorm, which'd be a mere wisp of a film otherwise. Following a just-made-redundant bank employee to Spain, this meandering drama by Spanish filmmaker Isabel Coixet (Elisa & Marcela) frequently mistakes mood for depth — and while Spall can't polish away its struggles, he's always the key reason to keep watching. A fan of the weather and little else, Spall's Peter Riordan has given decades of his life to his employer, and is so settled into the routine he's fashioned around his job that it's as natural and automatic to him as breathing. Accordingly, when he's unceremoniously let go, he finds it difficult to adjust. He's told that being freed from the monotony of his work is a gift, allowing him to retire early — so in that spirit, he heads off to the Mediterranean coast's tourist mecca to spend time with the brother he otherwise rarely talks to. But upon his arrival, Peter finds his sibling conspicuously absent. He still stays in his high-rise apartment, but what was meant to be a family reunion-style holiday now becomes a detective quest. Helping him is Alex (Sarita Choudhury, And Just Like That...), who worked with Peter's shady club-owning brother, might know more than she's letting on about his whereabouts, and also welcomes her new pal's tender companionship the more that they spend time together. It Snows in Benidorm is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. OFF THE RAILS In need of a bland and derivative friends-on-holidays flick that's painted with the broadest of strokes? Keen to dive once more into the pool of movies about pals heading abroad to scatter ashes and simultaneously reflect upon their current lot in life? Fancy yet another supposedly feel-good film that endeavours to wring humour out of culture clashes between English-speaking protagonists and the places they visit? Yearning for more glimpses of thinly written women getting their grooves back and realising what's important on a wild Eurotrip? Call Off the Rails, not that anyone should. Coloured with every cliche that all of the above scenarios always throw up, and also covered from start to finish in schmaltz, the debut feature from director Jules Williamson is a travel-themed slog that no one could want to remember. A grab bag of overdone tropes and treacly sentiment, it also doubles as an ode to the songs of Blondie, which fill its soundtrack — but even the vocal stylings of the great Debbie Harry can't breathe vibrancy into this trainwreck. Once close, Kate (Jenny Seagrove, Peripheral), Liz (Sally Phillips, Blinded by the Light) and Cassie (Preston, Gotti) now just call on big occasions — and even then, they're barely there for each other. But when fellow pal Anna dies, they reunite at her funeral, and are asked to carry out her final wish by her mother (Belfast's Judi Dench, in a thankless cameo). The task: catching a train across Europe, through Paris to Girona, Barcelona and Palma in Spain, to recreate a backpacking jaunt the four took decades earlier. Specifically, they're headed to La Seu, a cathedral with stained-glass windows that look particularly spectacular when the sun hits at the right time (the film calls it "god's disco ball"). Anna already bought their Interrail passes, and her 18-year-old daughter Maddie (Elizabeth Dormer-Phillips, Fortitude) decides she'll join the voyage, too. Off the Rails is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows, or check out the movies that were fast-tracked to digital in January, February, March, April and May.
Given the hefty backlash copped by Lost Picnic's 2017 edition in Sydney, you'd be forgiven for thinking the boutique festival might not live to see another day. But organisers have announced the event will return this October, promising to address last year's raft of issues and even throwing a debut Melbourne date into the mix. Taking over the Nursery at Flemington Racecourse on October 7, Lost Picnic 2018 is out to dish up a family-friendly serve of live entertainment and top local eats. Taking the stage this year will be legendary young-gun Tash Sultana, off the back of releasing her debut album, joined by Meg Mac, New Zealand singer-songwriter Marlon Williams, Sydney's Odette and brass ten-piece Hot Potato Band. A finely-tuned food offering will include Burn City Smokers and Pho Nom. Lost Picnic's last outing suffered more than a few hiccups, with punters complaining of lengthy wait times, food and drink stalls running out of stock early, and a somewhat disastrous forced recycling system. But this time around, Simon Beckingham — co-founder of Finely Tuned, the group that organises both Lost Picnic and NYE bash Lost Paradise — says festival goers can expect a much smoother affair. "Since last year's event wrapped up, we have been working hard to vastly improve the customer experience for 2018," he told Concrete Playground. After taking "all feedback on board", Beckingham had confirmed that there will be double the food stalls and an increased number of toilets, bar staff and tills — and those keen to skip the food queues altogether will be able to bring in their own picnic snacks. It's unclear if the capacity of the festival has been reduced or not. And instead of last year's compulsory recycling system, which forced punters to put down a $1 deposit for cups and then line up again to get a refund, there'll be a more user-friendly $10 cash-back incentive for those recycling their empty wine bottles. Tickets are going for the same price — $89 a pop — so here's hoping all the changes make the ticket price worth it.
In 1977, Robyn Davidson decided she would walk west from Alice Springs until she hit the Indian Ocean, taking with her only her beloved dog and four camels. She was determined to do this alone, but, finding herself in need of money, was forced to allow National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan to document her journey. Davidson was told the trek would be suicide, but, undeterred, she set out anyway on her perilous, eventful journey. Filmmakers have been trying to adapt Tracks, the book she wrote about her experience, since the early 1980s, with even Julia Roberts attached in 1993. This is the sixth (and, clearly, the only successful) attempt to bring Davidson's story to the screen. Mia Wasikowska stars and is impressive as Davidson, imbuing her with a determination required to sell the character. Adam Driver, best known from Lena Dunham's Girls, is equally superb as Smolan. Driver is a compelling presence, and though his character is an irritant to Davidson, he is a welcome presence to us whenever he appears. Read our full review of Tracks here. Tracks is in cinemas on Thursday, March 6, and thanks to Transmission Films, we have five double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=RyDCfuYTX_U
It's been 25 years since the last Chapel Street Festival took over the famed strip, but thanks to the Chapel Street Precinct Association (CSPA), coupled with the support from local and state governments, it's finally returning on Sunday, February 23, 2025. Throughout this long day, you can wander around the entire precinct and explore some of the six themed hubs full of art, music, food and cultural experiences. First off, there's Anthem Park, which will feature a stage hosting family-friendly entertainment during the day, and live bands and Aussie DJs at night. The Pillars section will showcase fashion, art, and a selection of food and drink pop-ups. There'll also be a huge Chapel Street Food Court championing some of Chapel Street's top food and drink traders — including Mr Myagi, Hawker Hall and LK Hospitality (Yugen Dining). Those after a little calm can drop by the wellness space Radiant Fields for yoga and pilates classes, plus a spiritual music show at dusk. Kids even get their own spot — the Colour Kingdom — where they can get their faces painted and play a heap of games. And lastly, there'll be a special Chaps Laps Classic Car Show featuring over 50 classic cars and a motocross demonstration. Throughout the day and night, you can also drop by any of the precinct's local traders who'll have their doors open — perhaps hosting their own festival experiences. CSPA President Jonathon Somers shared, "We're extremely grateful for the support of the State Government, whose original funding helped get this idea off the ground, and to the Local Government for making this event possible through planning and permits. "As the world moves into the mid-21st century, this Festival will reflect the natural transformation happening on Chapel Street, celebrating all the iconic elements of the Precinct that attracts millions of visitors each year. "Our goal is to see the Chapel Street Festival grow into an event on par with the St Kilda Festival, which in 2023 generated $31.5 million for local businesses and drew over 325,000 people into our neighbouring suburbs. "This is just the start of something truly special, and I'm eager to see what the organisers have in store as we witness this festival return to its roots in Melbourne's vibrant heart." [caption id="attachment_966734" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mr Miyagi[/caption] Chapel Street Festival will take place on Sunday, February 23, 2025. We'll be sure to keep you updated when we get more details on the food and drink lineup, musical performances and specific hub experiences.
If the names Peter Quince, Snug, Nick Bottom, Francis Flute, Tom Snout and Robin Starveling sound familiar, it's because they make up a group of very memorable characters from Shakespeare's famed play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Now, this fictional crew of thespian tradies — dubbed 'the Mechanicals' — has scored a promotion of sorts, bumped up to take on the starring roles in Shakespeare Australia's new production, A Midsummer Mechanical's Dream. The side-splitting spin-off will descend on the Royal Botanic Gardens' Southern Cross Lawn from Friday, February 25–Saturday, March 12, created and directed by Glenn Elston OAM. It spotlights the comical Mechanicals as they workshop lines and test out material in the hope of being chosen to perform at the Duke's upcoming nuptials. The limited run of nighttime performances will take place under the stars — you can pack a picnic to enjoy while you watch, or take advantage of the onsite bar.
UPDATE, December 20, 2022: Everything Everywhere All At Once is available to stream via Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Imagine living in a universe where Michelle Yeoh isn't the wuxia superstar she is. No, no one should want to dwell in that reality. Now, envisage a world where everyone has hot dogs for fingers, including the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon icon. Next, picture another where Ratatouille is real, but with raccoons. Then, conjure up a sparse realm where life only exists in sentient rocks. An alternative to this onslaught of pondering: watching Everything Everywhere All At Once, which throws all of the above at the screen and a helluva lot more. Yes, its title is marvellously appropriate. Written and directed by the Daniels, aka Swiss Army Man's Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, this multiverse-hopping wonder is a funhouse of a film that just keeps spinning through wild and wacky ideas. Instead of asking "what if Daniel Radcliffe was a farting corpse that could be used as a jet ski?" as their also-surreal debut flick did, the pair now muses on Yeoh, her place in the universe, and everyone else's along with her. Although Yeoh doesn't play herself in Everything Everywhere All At Once, she is seen as herself; keep an eye out for red-carpet footage from her Crazy Rich Asians days. Such glitz and glamour isn't the norm for middle-aged Chinese American woman Evelyn Wang, her laundromat-owning character in the movie's main timeline, but it might've been if life had turned out differently. That's such a familiar train of thought — a resigned sigh we've all emitted, even if only when alone — and the Daniels use it as their foundation. This isn't a movie that stays static, however, or wants to. Both dizzying and dazzling in its ambitions, the way it brings those bold aims to fruition, the tender emotions it plays with and the sheer spectacle it flings around, Everything Everywhere All At Once is a magnificent dildo-slinging, glitter cannon-shooting, endlessly bobbing and weaving whirlwind. Everything Everywhere All At Once is the movie version of a matryoshka set, too. While Russian Doll nods that way as well, the possibilities are clearly endless when exploring stacked worlds. Multiverses are Hollywood's current big thing — the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DC Extended Universe, the Sony Spider-Man Universe and Star Trek have them, and Rick and Morty adores them — but the concept here is equally chaotic and clever. It starts with Evelyn, her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom's Short Round and The Goonies' Data) and a hectic time. Evelyn's dad (James Hong, Turning Red) is visiting from China, the Wangs' daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) brings her girlfriend Becky (Tallie Medel, The Carnivores) home, and IRS inspector Deirdre Beaubeirdra (Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween Kills) is conducting a punishing audit. Then Evelyn learns she's the only one who can save, well, everything, everywhere and everyone. There's a great gag in that revelation, playing smartly yet savagely with perspective — because Everything Everywhere All At Once is all about how we choose to see things. Imagine trudging over to your local tax department, trolley full of receipts in hand and possible financial ruin in front of you, only to be told mid soul-crushing bureaucratic babble that it all means nothing since the very fate of the universe is at stake. But, at the same time, imagine realising that it's the simplest things that mean the most when space, time, existence and every emotion possible is all on the line. Although that isn't how a different version of Waymond puts it to Evelyn, it's what sparkles through as she's swiftly initiated into a battle against dimension-jumping villain Jobu Tapaki, discovers that she can access multiple other iterations of herself by eating chapsticks and purposefully slicing herself with paper cuts, and gets sucked into a reality-warping kaleidoscope. For Evelyn 1.0, everything the film throws her way is overwhelming, unsurprisingly. The Daniels have done a stellar job of ensuring viewers feel the same. Everything Everywhere All At Once splashes around more gleefully overstuffed absurdity than even a 139-minute-long movie can usually handle, but relentlessness is part of the point. When you're making Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse meets Inception meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets The Matrix meets Hong Kong marital-arts cinema, a notion few folks in any multiverse could dream up, havoc comes with the territory. As shot by Larkin Seiple (Swiss Army Man) and edited by Paul Rogers (Scheinert's solo flick The Death of Dick Long) with unfaltering flair that's 100-percent designed to overload the senses, that on-screen anarchy is what makes the movie so immersive and Evelyn's plight so relatable. And, it's essential to anchoring the feature's 'nothing matters, everything is fleeting, revel in the small stuff' mantra. While it was penned for Jackie Chan, Yeoh is the movie's chosen one well beyond the script. Her casting lets the Daniels see acting stardom in one of Evelyn's other lives, but it's her flexibility and grounding that's crucial. Everything Everywhere All At Once walks such a thin tightrope between the raucous and the ridiculous that plenty could've faltered. In another universe, it did. But always beating away at the centre of this film in this reality, amid the countless costume changes, hairstyles and all (with enormous credit due to the inventive behind-the-scenes teams), is Yeoh. She deploys the quiet ferocity that's marked her performances for four decades, and twists through everything from existential malaise and intergenerational trauma to the everyday struggle that is living a life, including as a mother and wife, that's worlds away from your hopes and dreams. Yeoh is a joy to watch in whatever is lucky to have her — including Last Christmas, Boss Level, Gunpowder Milkshake and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings recently — and her work here shakes her entire career to-date together, then lets the best, boldest and most bizarre possibilities shine. Everything Everywhere All At Once is a tribute to its lead as much as anything else, but it's also so much else: a marvellous calling card for Hsu, a glorious return for the exceptional Quan, and a movie that makes weird and wonderful use of Curtis, too. It's an anything-goes free-fall through interdimensional mania where everything does and can happen — as brilliantly choreographed — and a clear-eyed examination of the ties and troubles of family, of uprooting your existence to strive for a future that mightn't come, and of weathering the mundane and the sublime in tandem. It's a whirl, a swirl, a trip, a blast and a juggle as well and, in this universe, the Daniels wouldn't have it any other way.
Following in the footsteps of our major supermarket chains, as well as local shopping spots like the South Melbourne Market, the historic Queen Victoria Market has joined the club. The plastic-free club, that is. In an effort to help quash waste, the QVM has announced it'll scrap plastic bags and straws from Tuesday, May 14. Once the planet-friendly ban's in place, shoppers will have the option of bringing their own reusable bag, basket, or trolley, hiring out an onsite trolley from Market Espresso on Queen Street, or purchasing one of the QVM's own reusable bags or straws, available from individual traders as well as the Visitor Information Hub. If you prefer a cardboard box to carry that shopping haul home, you'll find plenty of recycled options at the QVM's existing Pick-A-Box locations, both on Queen Street and in I Shed. That said, you won't have to worry about your fish and meat products just yet. As with other venues, the Queen Victoria Market will still make available those thin plastic barrier bags, in order to avoid cross contamination. Some traders may also be happy for you to bring in reusable containers for your fresh produce, though it's at their discretion. The overhaul comes after the Market conducted a series of surveys and found a whopping 80 percent of customers and 70 percent of traders were in support of a plastic bag ban. Banning of plastic straws has gained quite a momentum in Australia over the past two years, and scored plenty of support on environmental grounds, though as highlighted by the ABC recently, it also has potential to marginalise disabled members of the community. A number of Aussies with disabilities rely on straws to eat and drink, and reusable versions aren't always an alternative. The Queen Vic Market will ban plastic bags and straws from Tuesday, May 14. For more information about its decision, head to qvm.com.au/sustainability/.
To celebrate World Coffee Day, Richmond's cult-favourite tart shop Tarts Anon will be giving away 100 of its newest creation — the espresso custard flan — free with coffee purchases. The one-day-only special sees croissant pastry and silky crème patisserie baked together and laced with espresso, resulting in a caffeinated twist on the traditional Portuguese tart. Whether you order a flat white, cappuccino or long black, with oat milk, almond or regular dairy, the free flan is yours — if you're among the first through the door. The giveaway will run from 8am until the first 100 pastries are snapped up, so you'll want to get in early. You'll find it all happening at Tarts Anon's light-filled flagship on Church Street. Tarts Anon's free espresso custard flans are only available on Wednesday, September 20, from 8am, for the first 100 customers.
It used to be that the best bars and restaurants were hidden down dark laneways with no signs out the front (sah chic, sah Melbourne). Now, they're huge bustling creatures taking over bridges and riversides. From February 28 till March 16, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival will be setting up their hub, The Immersery, on the banks of the Yarra River. In a beautiful feat of innovation it will include not only a restaurant and bar but a raingarden that stretches over the disused Sandridge Rail Bridge. What's a raingarden, you ask? It's actually exactly what it sounds like. As part of the 202020 Vision project, The Immersery will be making the most out of Melbourne's horrible weather with a series of PVC pipes that funnel all our unexpected showers into small garden beds. A big project in the name of sustainability, and a stunning sight to behold. Water will take a main role in the dining experience too, as local chefs such as Florent Gerardin (Silo), Daniel Wilson (Huxtable and Huxtaburger) and Jesse Garner (Añada and Bomba) have created menus inspired by it. Over The Immersery's 17 nights, you can expect diverse offerings such as Japanese eggplant miso dumplings or Mexican-inspired spiced Wessex saddleback pork empanadillas. The MFWF is nothing if not open to experimentation. The same can be said for its bar options. Eleven of the country's best bartenders have been commissioned to create new cocktails inspired by the three states of water — solid, liquid and gas. Though none of the drinks have been announced yet, there will be offerings from Tom Kearney (Mechanics Institute, Perth) with the team from Lily Blacks; Tim Phillips (Bulletin Place, Sydney) with Black Pearl; and bar staff from both Eau de Vie Melbourne and Sydney squaring off against one another. The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is one of those things you always kick yourself for forgetting. Hidden around trendy pockets of the city, it's easy to mark in your diary and never get around to. Now, with its bridges and riversides and pipes and world-class cocktails, it's going to be pretty hard to miss.
True to form, classy cocktails are high on the agenda at Eau de Vie for NYE. A cheeky $100 ticket gives you entry into the main bar, the always-appreciated glass of bubbles, three of EDV's celebrated signature cocktails and canapes to boot. If you're looking to kick it up a notch, the team are also offering a degustation dinner with matching cocktails for $175, including a five-course meal paired with those raveworthy concoctions made by Eau de Vie's award-winning bartenders. Doors open at 6pm, and booking as far in advance as possible is highly recommended.
Some like it hot; other milder folk prefer not to flirt with such danger. But whichever category you fall into, your tastebuds will find plenty to love when the Yarra Valley's Herb and Chilli Festival returns to spice up autumn. Descending on founders Clive and Di Larkman's Wandin herb farm from Saturday, March 19–Sunday, March 20, the flavour fest is set to deliver a fiery mix of food, entertainment and more. An 80-strong lineup of stallholders will be slinging everything from chilli plants and fresh herbs, to flavoursome pantry goods. Visit the international food court for a ready-to-eat spice hit — think, Slap Ya Mama's cajun fish fry — and sample feisty booze products like hot chilli wine and Logan's signature Thai Venom Vodka. Meanwhile, Hot Sauce Alley will offer tastings and takeaways from a range of Aussie favourites, and the live cooking stage will play host to both chef demos and fiery eating competitions — are you game to try the Stinger Wing Challenge? Luckily, you can keep your cool in between chillies with a program of live tunes, from artists including Sydney's Cajun-blues act Psycho Zydeco, Garry Marr and John Rees.
Some films were always going to grace screens, and The Dry was one of them, all thanks to the huge on-the-page success of Jane Harper's beloved novel of the same name. That 2021 big-screen release's sequel, which is now called Force of Nature: The Dry 2, is another. The first movie was such a hit — notching up more than $20 million in Australian ticket sales, and coming in sixth at the Aussie box office two years back after Hollywood franchise titles Spider-Man: No Way Home, No Time to Die, Godzilla vs Kong, Peter Rabbit 2 and Fast and Furious 9 — that greenlighting this sequel must've been the easiest decision ever. In 2022, news arrived that The Dry would indeed score a big-screen follow-up, as based on Harper's second novel Force of Nature. Then it was revealed that the film would release in 2023, instantly becoming one of this year's most-anticipated flicks. Now, Roadshow Films — which is behind the movie, and will distribute it in Australia and New Zealand — has unveiled an exact release date. Mark August 24 in your diary: that's when you have a return movie date with Eric Bana (Dirty John) as Detective Aaron Falk. Actually, given that timing, you might just be able to see the film at the 2023 Sydney Film Festival or Melbourne International Film Festival. This chapter is set in Victoria, so it'd make a nice opening- or closing-night pick at MIFF in particular. In Force of Nature: The Dry 2, the focus is on a corporate hiking retreat attended by five women, after which only four return. So, alongside fellow federal agent Carmen Cooper (Jacqueline McKenzie, Ruby's Choice), Falk heads deep into Victoria's mountain ranges to try to find the missing hiker — who also happens to be a whistle-blowing informant — alive. [caption id="attachment_787502" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Dry[/caption] As The Dry was, Force of Nature is written and directed by Robert Connolly (Blueback). Again, it boasts quite the pair when it comes to Aussie crime cinema — with Connolly the producer of one of the best local crime movies ever made, aka 1998's unnerving The Boys, and Bana famously the star of the similarly excellent Chopper. "Adapting Jane Harper's remarkable Force of Nature for the cinema has been an exciting adventure, a rare privilege to be able to revisit the world of detective Aaron Falk and to work again with Eric, an extraordinary supporting cast and a wonderful team of creatives and crew," said Connolly. "Jane's novels evoke the often-terrifying beauty of the natural world, and in this sequel to The Dry we take audiences into a new landscape to solve entwining crimes in the remote Australian wilderness." [caption id="attachment_796115" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Dry[/caption] Also featuring in Force of Nature, which has a powerhouse Aussie cast like its predecessor: Anna Torv (The Last of Us) as missing hiker Alice Russell, plus Deborra-Lee Furness (Jindabyne), Robin McLeavy (Homeland), Sisi Stringer (Mortal Kombat) and Lucy Ansell (Utopia). Richard Roxburgh (Elvis), Tony Briggs (Preppers) and Kenneth Radley (The Power of the Dog) pop up, too, while Jeremy Lindsay-Taylor (Heartbreak High) is back in the role of Erik Falk. Although there are now two images from the film to check out — see the header picture at the very top of this article, then the first among the text — it's still too early for even a teaser clip. Until one arrives, revisit the trailer for The Dry below: Force of Nature will release in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on August 24, 2023. Read our full review of The Dry. Force of Nature images: Narelle Portanier.
In case you needed a reminder the chain was still around and going strong, Victoria is home to eight TGI Fridays, with the American eatery located in Chadstone, the CBD, Doncaster, Eastland and more. The chain's mozzarella sticks and potato twisters have probably always been at the top of your must-eat list, which is understandable — but until Friday, March 29, it's the $5 margaritas that'll likely tempt you to make a trip. No matter what time of day you drop by, you'll only have to hand over a prawn — and you'll nab a cocktail in your choice of four flavours in return. Classic margs are available, of course; however, your tastebuds can also sip down mango, blood orange, and strawberry and coconut varieties. You will need to sign up to TGI Friday's rewards program to score the super-cheap price, which you can do by downloading the app (for iOS or android). Otherwise, those vivid margaritas will set you back $10. TGI Friday has eight Victoria locations: Chadstone, Doncaster, Eastland, Epping, Fountain Gate, Melbourne Central, Southbank and Southland.
Alright, alright, alright. NSW has a new tiny cabin — but this one is a little different. Aussie startup Unyoked, which currently has 12 tiny cabins around NSW and Victoria, has teamed up with the one-and-only Matthew McConaughey to launch the new extra-special off-grid getaway. As part of his role as Wild Turkey's creative director, the Dazed and Confused, Dallas Buyers Club and The Beach Bum actor helped design the cabin, which is popping up on the NSW Central Coast from December. It's launched as part of Wild Turkey's With Thanks campaign — a global initiative supporting people and organisations committed to preserving wildlife. [caption id="attachment_751856" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Inside the The Reserve by Wild Turkey X Unyoked cabin. Getty Images for Wild Turkey.[/caption] Previously, the campaign has helped firefighters battling blazes across California. Now, it's doing its bit in Australia, with both proceeds from stays at the new cabin and $1 from every bottle of Wild Turkey Longbranch sold in November and December going to the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife, which is helping with the recovery and rehabilitation of native flora and fauna caused by the ongoing NSW bushfires. While this is a great excuse to book a getaway on its own, there's an added bonus for McConaughey fans inside the cabin, too. The actor himself won't be there, but he has filled it with his favourite music, vintage literature and booze (no prizes for guessing what that is). As well as a bar stocked with Wild Turkey Longbranch — McConaughey's own blend, which he says it best drunk with "a couple of rocks at sundown and neat at 8.30pm" — you'll find Og Mandino's The Greatest Salesman in the World, Origins: African Wisdom for Everyday by Olivier Follmi and a collection of essays by 19th century American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. [caption id="attachment_751855" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Getty Images for Wild Turkey.[/caption] You'll be able to listen to McConaughey's favourites tunes on tapes, too, including Talking Timbuktu by Ali Farka Touré and Ry Cooder, Sturgill Simpson's Metamodern Sounds of Country Music and Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan. If American country and folk music isn't your schtick, make sure you download some alternative playlists before you head off — there won't be any wifi at this off-grid cabin. As well as the above, the solar-powered cabin is equipped with basically everything else you'll need for your off-grid adventure — bedding, towels, plates, a gas stove and even toilet paper is provided. Plus, you can add on extra luxuries like negronis, s'mores kits and pancake mix at the time of booking. Reservations for the one-of-a-kind cabin have just opened. A night in it will set you back $293 on a weeknight and $353 on a weekend (when you'll have to stay for at least two nights). Most of December is already booked up but there are plenty of free nights in January and beyond — for now. We're sure they'll get snapped up fast. The Reserve by Wild Turkey X Unyoked cabin will pop up on NSW's Central Coast in early December. You can book here. Images: Getty Images for Wild Turkey at the launch of the cabin at Bennelong Lawn. Updated: November 28, 2019.
In the world of floral artistry, Kate Hill has earned a reputation as a master of luxury and queen of the special occasion bouquet. So if it's some wow-factor you're seeking, her namesake Southbank studio is the place to start your hunt. Just ask the many celebrities, upscale boutiques and high-end hotels for whom she's created works. Up your gifting game with a signature arrangement or vase-held design, or let the team put together a custom piece crafted around your preferred colours and style. Or hey, why not treat yourself to a sweet-smelling bouquet, orchid or peace lily to brighten up your own pad?
Look, we're a spoilt bunch. Not just content with getting food delivered — from actually good restaurants and without having to speak to anyone, no less — we want to be able to get booze to our doorstep as well. Many delivery services allow you to tack on a six-pack with your meal, but this week one of the biggest food delivery services, Deliveroo, will start delivering alcohol-only orders in Melbourne. The service already delivered booze, but only when it was accompanying a food order — UberEATS does the same thing. But now, when you open the Deliveroo app, you'll notice that bottle shops like Blackhearts & Sparrows, Melbourne Wine Store and the Grosvenor Hotel will pop up as well. You can place orders for booze from these stores between noon and 11pm and it will be delivered in 30 minutes or less. Of course, there are a few other booze delivery services operating in Melbourne, like Tipple and QuickBottle, and both Foodora and Menulog allow you to place alcohol-only orders as well. This just adds another option into the mix — here's a list of the bottle shops that will deliver through Deliveroo. Grosvenor Hotel Thirsty Camel Caufield South Cellarbrations Flinders Street Shaw Davey Slum Bar Fitzroy Social Bar Blackhearts and Sparrows Brunswick East Blackhearts and Sparrows Fitzroy Blackhearts and Sparrows Richmond Blackhearts and Sparrows Windsor Bottle House St Kilda Bottle House South Yarra Melbourne Wine Store Deliveroo will now delivery alcohol-only orders between noon and 11pm. For more info, visit deliveroo.com.au.
Maybe you've been to a great comedy show, had a delicious meal in Chinatown or seen a flick at your local cinema and, for whatever reason, you're not quite ready to head home. Luckily, when you don't feel ready to call it a night, Melbourne has heaps of places you can duck into for a well-made tipple and a lengthy chat to extend your evening. To help narrow down where to go next, we've partnered with Maker's Mark to bring you seven cocktail bars across the city where you can order an old-fashioned and find a cosy spot to park yourself as you keep the good times rolling. AFTER A FEED IN THE CITY, STEP INTO EAU DE VIE'S COSY BOOTHS When you want a night out in the city to last a little bit longer than just your dinner reservation time, make a beeline for speakeasy-style bar Eau De Vie. The Malthouse Lane venue has plenty of intimate space and private booths to slink into, as well as shared high tables and a hidden bar behind a bookcase dubbed the Whiskey Bar. But it's not just about the atmosphere here; it has an extensive cocktail list drawing from theatrical inspiration, including Shakespearean, operatic, burlesque- and carnival-inspired concoctions. [caption id="attachment_684904" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brook James[/caption] AFTER DINNER IN CHINATOWN, ORDER A TOUSSAINT TANG AT 1806 Chinatown is a favourite dining spot for many Melburnians. The eastern end of Little Bourke Street is filled with Chinese eateries serving up dumplings, peking duck and seafood and plenty of noodle and rice dishes. After filling up on noods, head to cocktail bar 1806, just a stone's throw away from Chinatown on Exhibition Street. We recommend the venue's popular cocktail, the Toussiant Tang, made with Maker's Mark, Bowmore 12, Amaro Montenegro, mango and lemon. Or, go the simpler mint julep, made with Maker's Mark, fresh mint and syrup. [caption id="attachment_639976" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Black Pearl[/caption] AFTER A FITZROY FEAST, SLINK INTO A COUCH AT BLACK PEARL Brunswick Street is teeming with stellar places to grab a bite, including the likes of Smith & Daughters, Naked For Satan, Rice Queen, Ichi Ni Nana and Shawcross Pizza. The bustling street also has many places to dip into to quench your thirst after you've satisfied your hunger. When you want to extend your night out, we recommend heading to the lounge room-style cocktail bar Black Pearl. It has been shaking and stirring tipples for over 18 years, so you can trust the bartenders here to make you a classic old-fashioned or whiskey sour. Best of all, you can keep the good times rolling up until 3am here. [caption id="attachment_708330" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josie Withers/Visit Victoria[/caption] AFTER A SHOW AT MELBOURNE TOWN HALL, HEAD TO LUSTRE BAR Located on the corner of Swanston and Collins Streets, Melbourne Town Hall is a cornerstone of the city's cultural calendar and it has been putting on exhibitions, shows, functions and festivals for over 135 years. After an evening in the historic building — whether it's to catch some comedy or for a black-tie event — head to Lustre Bar along Flinders Lane for a late-night sweet fix. Here, you can enjoy the likes of a house-made brownie served warm with fresh cream and strawberries for a cheeky $12. Wash it down with a whiskey sour, made with Maker's Mark, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white. AFTER A NIGHT OF BELLY LAUGHS, ROLL INTO BOILERMAKER HOUSE If there's one thing the city knows how to put on, it's a comedy show. After seeing a big name at the Forum or having been entertained in a more casual setting such as Crab Lab or The Catfish, you're going to want a good cocktail afterwards. Head to Boilermaker House, located in the heart of the city on Lonsdale Street. It is a blues-filled bar renowned for its quality malt whiskey and cocktails — and the cheeseboards aren't too bad either. We recommend ordering an old-fashioned made with Maker's Mark to finish off the night. AFTER A FLICK AT PALACE KINO, DEBRIEF AT NICK & NORA'S Palace Kino Cinemas features a slew of local and international new releases, feature films, old classics and documentaries over seven big screens. It's also a popular spot during international and domestic film festivals and is in close quarters to a range of cocktail bars. One of these is the speakeasy-style cocktail bar Nick & Nora's. Sporting golden era vibes, from the glamorous light fixtures down to the geometric patterned carpet, the venue is perfect for some after-flick charcuterie, cheese and cocktails — and there are plenty of hideaways to relax into to carry your post-film discussion on into the evening. [caption id="attachment_662764" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] AFTER A CITY SHOPPING SPREE, SWING BY MJOLNER There's lots to do around Melbourne Central, including seeing a movie at Hoyts, grabbing a bite at Asian Beer Café or Nosh, or browsing the shops. After a day on your feet in the city, you're going to want to find somewhere for a respite. Step into Mjolner, a Viking-themed bar with contemporary Scandinavian design. It's also a good spot for a post-shopping spree cocktail. Order yourself an aptly named Battle Axe, made with Maker's Mark, rum, chicory, walnut leaf, maple and bitters. It'll help get you into the seafaring warrior spirit. Find out more about Maker's Mark and how to make an old-fashioned, here. Top image: Nick & Nora's, Brook James
It has been over three years since Australia's most ambitious outdoor cinema held its first pop-up, letting movie lovers catch a flick under the stars while getting cosy in one of its beds (yes, beds) on the beach. After four fast-selling seasons in Sydney, Mov'In Bed has announced its first national tour, bringing its comfy setup to Melbourne in 2020. Melburnians, it's your time to hop into one of 150 beds and stare up at the silver screen. Mov'In Bed will make its Melbourne debut at St Kilda Beach in on Saturday, January 4 and run right through summer until Saturday, March 7. Grab a buddy you're comfortable to share a blankie with (or make a bold first date move) and book one of the 150 beds — which are located literally on the sand. There will be new movies (Joker, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Hustlers), old movies (Jaws and Dirty Dancing, of course), and Last Christmas in case you are still hanging on to festive cheer. There'll also be an American-style diner on-site to bring you pizza, burgers and milkshakes directly to your bed. It's not BYO so you'll have to purchase all drinks at the bar. Films will run from 8.45pm every night except Mondays. Tickets are $73.80 for a couple and $93.90 if you can fit three in the bed. If you don't want to shell out for a bed, you can grab a grass ticket for $12 — just remember to bring a picnic blanket and book your spot before you rock up. Updated: November 13, 2019.
If you live in Australia and you love French cinema, then you already have a hefty chunk of autumn blocked out in your 2023 diary. To help cap off 2022, the annual Alliance Française French Film Festival locked in its dates for the year ahead, when it'll take its movie-adoring show on the road throughout March and April. What's even better? Unveiling the initial 15 titles that'll be gracing its big screens in Aussie capitals, and also a heap of regional locations. Among the first titles revealed, both variety and high-profile names feature heavily. Among the latter, there's a big focus on France's leading ladies, such as Juliette Binoche (The Staircase), Marion Cotillard (Annette), Virginie Efira (Benedetta), Léa Seydoux (Crimes of the Future), Laure Calamy (Call My Agent!), Noémie Merlant (Portrait of a Lady on Fire), Bérénice Bejo (The Artist) and Isabelle Adjani (The World Is Yours). And, AFFFF already boasts its usual smattering of homegrown box-office sensations and up-and-comers, aka already-proven hits and the talents who'll be making them in years to come. Get ready for zombies, comedies, Cannes titles, acclaimed filmmakers, Oscar contenders and more. One big highlight: Final Cut, a French remake of Japanese cult hit One Cut of the Dead from The Artist director Michel Hazanavicius, starring Bejo and Romain Duris (Eiffel), and a movie that is playful with that whole setup. If you missed the original, it follows a film crew making a zombie special that's being broadcast live — but then things get real. Selected as France's submission to this year's Oscars, in the Best International Feature category — and already named on the Academy's shortlist — Alice Diop's Saint Omer is another absolute must-see. The documentarian draws from true events to craft a drama about a young Parisian journalist and novelist attending murder trial, then wading through the complexities it surfaces within her own family history. Acting icon Adjani is part of the cast for Masquerade, which has the honour of opening this year's AFFFF. Directed by La Belle Époque's Nicolas Bedos, and playing at last year's Cannes Film Festival, it tells of glitz, glamour and a far-less-glossy underbelly in the Côte d'Azur, as led by Pierre Niney (Yves Saint Laurent). Or, film fans can also look forward to One Fine Morning, the latest film by Bergman Island's Mia Hansen-Løve, this time a family drama starring Seydoux; The Innocent, as written and directed by, and starring, Louis Garrel (A Faithful Man), based on his own experiences and featuring Merlant; and Other People's Children, an Efira-led effort about being a stepmother that's also inspired by director Rebecca Zlotowski's (Planetarium) own life. And, Efira pops up again in Paris Memories, which is set in the aftermath of Paris' November 2015 terrorist attacks, and is helmed by Proxima director and Mustang screenwriter Alice Winocour. Binoche features in Winter Boy, the new film from Sorry Angel's Christophe Honoré, an autobiographical drama focusing on 17-year-old Lucas (newcomer Paul Kircher). As for Cotillard, she's part of the cast of Brother and Sister, playing a stage actor and sibling to Melvil Poupaud (Summer of 85). And, after proving so astounding in 2022's Full Time, Calamy appears in two of AFFFF's 2023 titles: Two Tickets to Greece, a comedy about estranged childhood friends heading off the eponymous country, as hailing from fellow Call My Agent! alum Marc Fitoussi and also starring Kristin Scott Thomas (Slow Horses); and the 1974-set Annie's Fire, which follows a working-class mother of two who unexpectedly falls pregnant at a time when abortion isn't legally accessible. Rounding out this first drop of titles: November, one of the biggest French box-office hits of 2022, with Jean Dujardin (Deerskin) playing the lead anti-terrorist squad investigator into the Paris 2015 attacks; Notre-Dame on Fire, about the 2019 blaze; Everybody Loves Jeanne, a comedy about self-doubt; and Lie with Me, as based on Philippe Besson's award-winning autobiographical novel. Notching up its whopping 34th year, AFFFF will play Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart — plus Byron Bay, Parramatta, Victor Harbour, Bendigo, the Gold Coast and Margaret River. ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL 2023 DATES: March 7–April 5: Sydney, NSW March 8–April 5: Melbourne, VIC March 8–April 5: Perth, WA March 9–19: Hobart, TAS March 9–April 5: Canberra, ACT March 15–April 12: Brisbane, QLD March 16–April 5: Byron Bay, NSW March 23–April 19: Adelaide, SA March 29–April 2: Parramatta, NSW March 29–April 16: Gold Coast, QLD March 31–April 2: Margaret River, WA April 3 and 10: Victor Harbour, SA April 21–23: Bendigo, VIC + encore dates in some cities The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from Tuesday, March 7–Tuesday, April 25, 2023. For more information, visit the AFFFF website. Check back here on Wednesday, February 1 for the full program.
Since first unleashing its specific flavour of festival fun back in 2014, Lost Paradise has become an end-of-year staple — and the Glenworth Valley event returns from December 28, 2018 to January 1, 2019 for another packed year. The fest's fifth annual lineup will see more than 50 acts take to the stage across a huge five days, with artistic experiences, talks, workshops and classes also part of the camping festival. Of course, it's the music that'll tempt festival-goers to make the journey an hour out of Sydney. With The Kooks, Tash Sultana, Joey Bada$$, Pnau, Dune Rats and M.I.A. leading the charge — the latter in her only New South Wales show — there's plenty to get excited about. Attendees will dance their way between four stages, all returning from 2017. Arcadia is where the main action is, Lost Disco will focus on bass, techno and dance music (and eye-catching visuals by 3D mapping artists), and Paradise Club will party on right into the night with DJs and surprise guests. Then there's My Mum's Disco, which not only features a digital jukebox pumping out 15,000 nostalgic beats and guilty pleasures, but sing-alongs and more to accompany the tunes. Think bingo, karaoke and the general feeling that you're hanging out at a mighty huge Aussie backyard shindig. In-between catching live sets and making shapes, Lost Paradise offers patrons a heap of other activities, including three days of chats and sessions at the fest's Shambhala Fields. Everything from African dance and forest bathing to hula hooping and massage is on the agenda, as well as a dedicated yoga and meditation tent. Or, hang out in Hammock Haven, find something to read at the Lost Library, take a ride on an art car, go shopping at the Lost Bazaar bohemian fashion markets or head to the new Holy Cow Chai Tent. It's a carnival-themed space that's all about chilling out over breakfast bowls and — as the name suggests — brewed chai, plus other beverages. Still on the food and drink front, Lost Village boasts communal tables for dining and an array of cuisines for feasting upon. On-site craft beer container bars will serve up craft booze, while Milky Lane and Cold Rock are on the culinary lineup menu alongside dim sum, pizza, Japanese and Southern-Indian street-food, and more. Camping-wise, there's two options: The Glamping Gypsy Fields or The Eco-Tent Village. The former includes luxury toilets and showers, a breakfast cafe, cocktail bar, furnished hangout spaces and a grooming parlour, while the more budget-friendly latter lets you take your pick from tents made out of recyclable cardboard, basic canvas tents and reusable canvas tents with foam mattresses. Here's what you're in for this year: LOST PARADISE 2018 LINEUP: The Kooks Tash Sultana M.I.A Joey Bada$$ Pnau Bicep (Live) Dune Rats Ball Park Music Vera Blue Kink (Live) Winston Surfshirt Peggy Gou Foals (Dj Set) Willaris. K Young Franco Bob Moses Sg Lewis Lime Cordiale Chaos In The Cbd Furnace & The Fundamentals Anna Yotto Human Movement Dom Dolla Cut Snake Cc:Disco! Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Groove City Flava D Genesis Owusu Klp Bontan Krystal Klear Loods Young Monks Pacific Avenue Wallace Thunderfox Milan Ring Clews Majun Bu The Jim Mitchells Rackett Shantan Wantan Ichiban Clypso Motorik Vibe Council Ebony Boadu Lex Deluxe Sportsuncle Ru Matt Ringrose Dibby Dibby Soundsystem Lost Paradise returns to Glenworth Valley from December 28 to January 1. Tickets are on sale now from the festival website. Images: Boaz Nothman, Cai Griffin, Jordan Munns and Nathan Bonnici.
If you thought that Melbourne was anywhere close to smokehouse saturation point, you were wrong. The barbecue trend continues in all its meaty glory, with the latest addition drawing carnivorous punters even further west, to Footscray. Up in Smoke is the new venture from 8bit's Shayne McCallum. Having conquered the tastebuds of this burgeoning foodie suburb with drool-worthy burgers, he's now decked out a prominent industrial space on Hopkins Street, stuck in a huge Yoder Frontiersman smoker and is serving up the smoky spoils nightly, from 5pm until they run out. The asphalt beer garden fronting the 60-seat eatery is as big as the space within — an ideal spot for a drive-by ribs fix and craft beers with the crew. Inside, it's all black walls and booth seating, with that majestic smoker sitting behind glass and bathed in almost angelic light. It's responsible for the parade of meat sailing from the kitchen, nestled in tacos, wedged into hefty sandwiches and teamed simply with pickles, a milk bun and a duo of sauces on enamel trays. You can avoid too much decision-making and opt for The Big Tray, loaded with brisket, sausage, a mound of pulled pork and two sides ($42), or you can build your own meaty adventure. Pork ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender ($28) and brisket is handled just as well ($16). Match them with some of the punchy chilli mayo slaw ($5), or decadent, crunchy-topped mac 'n' cheese ($6) and you'll be in smokehouse heaven. If you've got any spare room in that belly, be sure to sample the smoked hot wings ($10), or one of the tacos ($5 each). The seafood number is a fiesta in its own right, filled with polenta-crumbed prawns, avocado, corn, black beans and a zesty lime crema. Alongside the meat, the other big drawcard here is a stellar booze offering. A sharp little wine list straddles the line between approachable and interesting, while craft beer fans will go nuts over both the tap selection and the bottles in the fridge. Right now, you can team your brisket with a Fixation IPA ($6.50 pot) or go a little left of centre with Bad Shepherd's raspberry wheat beer ($7/$14/$26). Come for the meat and stay for the stuff you wash it down with. Whether you live in the west, the north or the east, this is one Footscray gem worth checking out. Images: Renee Stamatis
Clear your calendars, art lovers. Melbourne's largest queer arts and culture bash, the Midsumma Festival has showcased the talents of local creatives from within the city's LGBTIQ community every year since 1988 — and its 2016 program is due to kick off this Sunday, January 17. Running for three straight weeks, Midsumma 2016 will be spread across more than 80 different venues, and will cover everything from visual art and performance to community events and parties. As has become tradition, the festival's centrepiece event will be the annual Pride March along Fitzroy Street in St Kilda. This year, the march will put an emphasis on the fight for marriage equality. The Pride March is one of three major flagship events on this year's program. The Midsumma Carnival and TDance will once again kick off the festival with a five-hour lineup of free live music and entertainment in Alexandra Gardens. We'll also see the launch of the first ever National Water Polo League Pride Cup at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, in which the Victorian Seals National League will take on the Brisbane KFC Breakers. The night will also feature an exhibition grudge match between Australia's only LGBTIQ clubs, the Melbourne Surge and the Sydney Stingers. Carn the Surge! Other standout events on the program include the DRAGNATION drag competition, the Lesbian Comedy Gala and the Yass Pride! party at Luna Park. A performance from award winning cabaret singer Michael Griffiths looks set to be pretty great and the premiere of a new multimedia art exhibition Company of Men is another of our must-see events. For more information about the festival including the full program guide, visit midsumma.org.au
Exhibition 54, C3 Contemporary Art Space’s latest slew of group and solo exhibitions, makes for pleasant lazy weekend afternoon meandering. In Gallery 1, Claire Davies’ Opposing Forces presents sculptural pieces that hang as awkward, static objects in loose coils, accompanied by intricate pastel-hued prints that are vaguely reminiscent of an almost dreamtime style. Exploring themes of separation, bodily function and magical thinking, Davies’ abstract, yet somewhat familiar works resemble re-imagined internal organs. You may leave with grand plans to take a paintbrush to your liver or string up those old intestines you've got lying around as an avant-garde spin on interior decoration. Nearby in Space A, Andre Tjaberings’ Battle Life examines the idea of cities as manifestations of the human psyche. The walls are lined with a combination of surreal, architectural paintings and complex digitally designed prints, resulting in something like a cross between The Jetson’s, Transformers and the world’s most frustrating game of Tetris. Tucked away in the Project Room, The Earth Bling Experiment by Deb K Williams is every bit as fun as it’s name suggests. A response to the question, “What kind of jewels will they take to the moon?” and the statement, “Arranging a room for conversation”, both of which Williams found in a 1960 Scientific American magazine, the installation is an assortment of textural, otherworldly objects your mum definitely wouldn’t have let you get your sticky paws on. You’re a grown up now, so you can do whatever you want (except touch the art). The group exhibition World In My Eyes, located in Space B, is a delicate, childlike tableau of ceramic works courtesy of Arts Project Australia. Dainty little ballet flats sit alongside a collection of handcrafted cameras and a coiled up snake takes up residence in the back corner of the exhibition — contemporary art can be frighteningly real sometimes. Along with The Earth Bling Experiment, the shiny pearl inside the C3 oyster is Al Ouchtomsky’s Purple Sunset For Orange Lexus in Gallery 2. The collage-based exploration showcases a series of imagined landscapes that straddle the divide between the digital and analogue realms. Alongside a number of the grooviest modern-day diorama’s you’ve ever seen, Ouchtomsky’s work is a seemingly random (yet undoubtedly considered) future-retro ode to the days of psychedelia. According to the exhibition copy, “One may contemplate a time when future creatures might one day unearth this civilization and it’s hordes of disparate detritus.” They’ll probably just throw a rave. Image credit Deb K Williams, The Earth Bling Experiment
Weekends are all about balance. You've gotta do something to make up for the fact that you're at work for 67.2 percent of your week (we did the maths), and sometimes all you need is a sophisticated long lunch with your favourite people. Counterbalance all the times you've eaten lunch at your desk by inviting your closest friends to while away an afternoon feeling fancy-free with delicious food and a cocktail in hand. Whether you've hit your targets at work, been kicking goals at the gym, or you just made it through another week, you deserve to treat yourself for the small wins and milestones. The world's finest French vodka, Grey Goose, is committed to quality ingredients, which means bartenders are able create incredible cocktails that upgrade any summer occasion — particularly a leisurely long lunch on the weekend. With that in mind, here are six Melbourne venues perfect for a fancy, indulgent meal.
When was the last time you took a close look at a painting? We're not talking about taking it in, hypothesising about what it means, then moving on. We mean really stopping, looking, and letting yourself move through the painting. Sound impossible? Not when you watch VAN GOGH, MONET & DEGAS 3D: LASTING IMPRESSIONS, exclusive to IMAX Melbourne, from Thursday, November 28. [caption id="attachment_981231" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Monet: Sun Setting on the Seine at Lavacourt[/caption] This isn't your regular theatric blockbuster; rather, it's an immersive transformation of some of the world's most famous paintings into a cutting-edge art and music experience. It brings the likes of Van Gogh's starry nightscape, Monet's water lilies, Degas' ballerinas and more to moving life in a brand new way. Instead of being shown as typical depictions of paintings, they're expanded upon with 3D Motion Sculpting Technology, filling the entirety of IMAX Melbourne's seven-storey screen. You'll feel as if you're soaring, floating and dancing through the paintings, seeing the details come alive with motion that the canvas could never recreate. The soundtrack is just as classic, with works from classical maestros like Debussy and Ravel synced to the motion of the art on-screen. It's a feast for the eyes and ears that you won't find anywhere else. If only the artists could see. VAN GOGH, MONET & DEGAS 3D: LASTING IMPRESSIONS will be screened at IMAX Melbourne from Thursday, November 28. Visit the website for more information or to get tickets.
2024 marks two decades since one of the best blends of romance, comedy, drama and sci-fi of the 21st century reached screens in the form of Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. How should you celebrate that fact? Rewatching the movie always, and also checking out the French filmmaker's latest feature at Australia's annual Alliance Française French Film Festival. In his first movie since 2015, the director draws from his own experience in semi-autobiographical comedy The Book of Solutions — one of the just-announced full AFFFF program's clear must-sees. French film fans, rejoice — the lineup goes on from there, with 41 titles on offer overall. The festival will run across March and April in its 35th year, giving most of its stops a month of Gallic movies. So, in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra, get ready to see plenty of France from your cinema seat. Byron Bay's season is shorter, but still lasts for three weeks. At the end of 2023, AFFFF unveiled its first eight flicks for 2024, so audiences already had opening night's The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan to look forward to, alongside its second part The Three Musketeers: Milady. And, the Catherine Deneuve (The Truth)-led The President's Wife, Juliette Binoche (The Staircase)-starring The Taste of Things, futuristic The Animal Kingdom, regal scandal-focused Jeanne Du Barry, legal drama All Your Faces and Laure Calamy (The Origin of Evil) in Iris and the Men as well. Joining them are plenty of new highlights, such as Last Summer, the latest from iconic director Catherine Breillat (Abuse of Weakness), about a woman and her teenage stepson. Not one but two movies starring the great Isabelle Huppert (The Crime Is Mine) are on the roster, with The Sitting Duck casting her as IRL whistleblower Maureen Kearney and Sidonie in Japan about a love triangle that includes a ghost. And Second Round gets the closing-night spot, hailing from Albert Duponte (Bye Bye Morons), and taking aim at politics and the media. Attendees can also check out A Difficult Year, from The Intouchables' Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, and with Noémie Merlant (The Innocent) and Mathieu Amalric (The French Dispatch) among the cast — plus rom-com Mr Blake at Your Service!, with author Gilles Legardinier turning director to adapt his own book, and John Malkovich (Billions) and Fanny Ardant (Well Done!) starring. Historical drama Bonnard, Pierre & Marthe is about the painter (Vincent Macaigne, Irma Vep) and his wife (Cécile de France, The Swarm), while Out of Season has Guillaume Canet (Breaking Point) and Alba Rohrwacher (La Chimera) play ex-lovers. Like The Book of Solutions, The Taste of Things, The Animal Kingdom and romantic drama Along Came Love, both Àma Gloria and Rosalie grace the program after debuting at Cannes 2023. The first focuses on a girl and her nanny, while the second tells of a real historical figure who was born with hair covering her face and body. Other options include Take a Chance on Me, as starring French pop singer Louane Emera; fellow comedy A Chance to Win, where two rival villages face off in rugby; the swashbuckling The Edge of the Blade; the world premiere of King of My Castle, from the writers of Welcome to the Sticks; and the animated Nina and the Secret of the Hedgehog, with Audrey Tautou (The Jesus Rolls) among the voices. The fest is also giving classic Children of Paradise from 1945 a new big-screen celebration, taking viewers back to the 1800s with its storyline, as well as into Paris' theatre scene — because looking at France's great films from year gone by is another way to showcase the country's cinema industry and its impact. Alliance Française French Film Festival 2024 Dates: Tuesday, March 5–Tuesday, April 2 — Palace James St and Palace Barracks, Brisbane Tuesday, March 5–Tuesday, April 9 — Palace Central, Palace Norton Street, The Chauvel, Roseville Cinema and Cinema Orpheum Cremorne, Sydney Wednesday, March 6–Tuesday, April 2 — Palace Como, Kino Cinema, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Westgarth, Pentridge Cinema, The Astor Theatre and Palace Penny Lane, Melbourne Wednesday, March 6–Tuesday, April 2 — Palace Raine Square, Luna on SX, Luna Leedeerville and Windsor Cinema, Perth Thursday, March 7–Wednesday, March 27 — Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay Thursday, March 7–Tuesday, April 2 — Palace Electric, Canberra Thursday, March 21–Tuesday, April 16 — Nova Prospect and Palace Nova Eastend, Adelaide The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia in March and April 2024. For more information and tickets, visit the AFFFF website.
This month, a lucky bunch of Sydneysiders were treated to the second event in a series of secret suppers hosted by Red Rock Deli. The exclusive supper series — running until September at secret locations across Sydney and Melbourne — sees some of Australia's most talented chefs whipping up mouth-watering, three-course feasts inspired by Red Rock Deli's new limited-edition range. And when we say exclusive, we mean it — only 20 lucky guests get to tuck into each lavish dinner. On Thursday, June 20, Duncan Welgemoed put up a firey three-course feast reminiscent of the smoky bites his popular Adelaide restaurant, Africola, is known for. After guests were picked up from North Sydney Station and whisked away to the Coal Loader. This space formerly functioned as an industrial coal bunkering site, and guests were given the rare opportunity to dine in one of the historic underground tunnels. There, Welgemoed dished up plates inspired by Red Rock Deli's flame-grilled steak and chimichurri flavour. In the first course, Welgemoed served slow-roasted and smoked peppers, thoum (garlic dip) and cucumbers with charred flatbreads, while his dessert was a delightful comination of tahini ice cream, baklava and mandarin oil. But it was the slow-roasted beef ribs with chimichurri, slow roasted cauliflower and tahini that was the real winner — to recreate it at home, check out the recipe here. Chris Yan, of Sydney's lauded dumpling den Lotus, is up next. The dinner will take place on Thursday, August 8 and will be inspired by Red Rock Deli's red chilli and creamy coconut chips. To nab tickets for Sydney's upcoming Red Rock Deli supper, enter the ballot here to be given the chance to purchase tickets. Images: Kitti Gould
The daily grind can really wear you down. Luckily, you don't always have to join the rat race on the commute home every day — you could have a few drinks instead. One major bonus of working in the CBD is that heaps of Melbourne's top-notch bars put on some serious drink specials — many of which can be enjoyed every day. The joyous tradition of happy hour is alive and well in many of the city's most loved bars and eateries — you just have to know where to go, and when, to take advantage of the best drink and food specials. So we've rounded up some great deals for when you're looking for a post-work tipple before heading home, with rooftop views, riverside locales, basement vibes and classic eateries all accounted for. There's cheap beer and wine aplenty, as well as chicken burgers, empanadas, tequila and a spritz or two, all sure to help you and your workmates shake off that nightmarish meeting that took up most of your afternoon. NATURAL HISTORY PUBLIC BAR Boasting one of the most interesting fit-outs in the city, Natural History Public Bar also has a killer happy hour, slinging affordable after-work beverages from 4–7pm each weekday. Alongside the regular deal of $7 wine, $8 spirits and $9 pints, the bar has a number of daily specials going on, such as half price bottles of wine on Mondays, and a carafe of wine and a cheese plate for just $35 on Tuesdays. On Thursday evening, pretend you're fancy with a $10 negroni, old fashioned or espresso martini. Or you can end the week being serenaded by, or enthusiastically singing along to, the musical stylings of the bar's resident in-house piano man every Friday and Saturday night. [caption id="attachment_705701" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] PEACHES Not all happy hours are created equal. The delightfully pastel-hued Peaches — up the pink stairs from Cheek — treats punters to not one, but two chances at nabbing a $7 chicken sanga. Although technically not available after the traditional nine-to-five work hours, this two-level rooftop bar deserves a mention for both its 12–2pm lunchtime happy hour, and its reprise from midnight till 2am on Friday and Saturday nights. As well the tasty sandwiches (which can also come filled with tofu), you can also throw back a $7 pickleback shot at these times. To cap it off, the bar's cocktails are as aesthetically pleasing as its pastel pink decor, and taste as good as they look. [caption id="attachment_740896" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mr Harry's[/caption] LELLO PASTA BAR If you like your drinks served with homemade pasta, or delicious Italian nibbles, Lello Pasta Bar has you sorted. Monday through Friday, from 4.30–6.30pm, the Italian eatery has a bunch of beer, wine and spirits on special, including tap beer, house wine and spirits for $7. If you're after something a little fancier, Lello will sling you an Aperol or Campari spritz for $12, any cocktail from the menu for $15, or wine and spirits from the next shelf up for a tenner. Hot tip: head to Lello at the end of the week for Aperitivo Fridays, where you'll be treated to a free small plate of snacks with the purchase of an alcoholic drink, just get there between 4.30pm and 6pm. PILGRIM BAR Right through the working week — from 4.30–6.30pm Monday to Friday — Pilgrim Bar will pour you a drink for mere pocket change with its $5 happy hour. The riverside bar and eatery has an all-Australian menu worth sampling, especially when you can pick up a beer, house wine, or spritz for a fiver. Championing seasonality and local produce, the list is always changing, so there's always something new to try, from wines from the Yarra and King valleys to Victorian and NSW beers. Plus, you can fuel up with warm toasties and locally sourced cold meats and cheese. PALERMO Empanadas and beers. How good does that sound for a post-work snack? Argentinean steakhouse Palermo — the little sister of Meyers Place mainstay San Telmo — is making knock-off time even better every Monday through Thursday with its $9 deal. From 4–6pm, you can grab a hot and crunchy empanada and a cold and crisp Patagonian Pilsner for less than a tenner. Once that deal has taken the edge off after a hard day of work, you may as well settle into one of Palermo's comfy booths for a pisco sour and dome dinner. Take advantage of generous share plates with your work mates. FATHER'S OFFICE When it's quittin' time, head straight to an office of a different kind: Swanston Street's prohibition-inspired bar, Father's Office. The specials are plentiful and frequent here, with happy hour running for four hours each night. Stop by between 5–7pm or 8–10pm any day of the week for a range of $12 cocktails, $5 wines, $7 schooners and $7 spirits. That's a lot to remember, but all you really need to know is Father's Office has so many specials that even your fussiest colleagues will be happy, and there's plenty of space for your whole work crew among the art deco-style dining room or out on the balcony overlooking the State Library. THE MILL HOUSE Escape the hustle of the crowded CBD streets and the post-work rush, and head down to subterranean Flinders Lane bar The Mill House. Budget-friendly drinks are served up here everyday from 4–7pm — including Saturdays — with a selection of spirits, wines and pints of beer down to $7.50. The kitchen also pumps out $12 daily food specials (from noon right through until close, so you can get a feed and a tipple for just under 20 bucks. Be sure to nab one of the large, circular booths up the back, for ultimate comfort, vibes and proximity to food. SPLEEN BAR Considering it's been cranking out drinks for thirsty punters until 5am since 1997, Spleen Bar must be doing something right. And it doesn't disappoint when it comes to happy hour specials, either. Monday through Friday, from 4pm–7pm, both Stomping Ground's pale ale and laneway lager drop to $5 a pot, or $9 for a pint, and house wines are just $8. You'll need food to get you through the week, so grab a cheeseburger or southern fried chicken slider for just five bucks from 4pm–11pm Monday to Thursday, and 4pm–1am on Fridays and Saturdays. Spleen has hump day covered, too, with southern fried and glazed chicken wings for just 5o cents each on Wednesdays. MESA VERDE We promise this one will make it worth the climb up the many stairs at Curtin House. Settled in on level six — before you make it to Rooftop Bar — Mesa Verde is known for an extensive food and drinks list championing Mexican influences, and its happy hour specials are no different. From 5–6pm, Monday to Thursday, you can nab $6 house wines and spirits, and $5 pints and tequila shots. While you're there, make sure to try some small plates to share, or some of the $7 tacos, with flavours like grilled ox tongue, queso oaxaca and tomatillo avocado salsa, or roasted pumpkin, kale, smoked cheese and pasilla salsa. On Mondays, margs are $10 all day.
Melburnians have hotly anticipated visiting the very first Il Mercato Centrale outside Italy ever since the CBD site was first announced in 2022. At that time, it was expected to launch late the same year, but the highly ambitious venture encountered a heap of issues that pushed the opening back a couple of years. But all those woes are now in the past, as the team is officially opening the 546 Collins Street site at 4pm on Thursday, September 19. First off, the 3500-square-metre space, spread across three stories, truly is enormous. The first floor will have a market feel but with more flash, fun and tech. Each of the vendors will be slinging their own specialty goods, with none competing with the other. [caption id="attachment_856980" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mercato Centrale Milan[/caption] There'll be a bakery, patisserie, handmade pasta bar, pizza joint, cheese maker, butcher and seafood stall, to name a few. Here, you can get fresh produce to take away or order it to be cooked up right in front of you. That means that you can buy a steak to eat at home or ask them to pop it on the grill while you start on some wine that you ordered from the bar right in the centre of the ground floor. Want to make it a surf and turf? Order some grilled calamari from the seafood stall next door and create your own feast. Conveniently, you'll be able to order from any and all vendors all in one transaction by using a QR code — or even pre-order from your office to pick up when it's ready. It going to be one of the easiest Melbourne food halls to order from. Then, on the second floor of Melbourne's Il Mercato Centrale, you'll find a fine-dining restaurant, cocktail bar, pasta restaurant (all made by hand), pizzeria, gelateria, wine bar, a gin and vodka distillery, and live music stage. We told you, it's huge. Up here, you'll even be able to order some of the food from downstairs to be delivered to you. Say you're sipping on a negroni at the bar upstairs and get a bit hungry. All you've got to do is order a cheeseboard and perhaps some slices of pizza on your phone, and the team will bring it up to you. If it all works out how the crew wants it to, it will be a huge feat of tech and service ingenuity. The top floor of Il Mercato Centrale will then be dedicated to private events and masterclasses, where each of the vendors will run workshops on their particular trades each month. There will even be a big outdoor seating area right on Collins Street, something that was not easy for the Il Mercato Centrale team to secure. Taking Concrete Playground on a tour of the site, General Manager Gary Patikkis couldn't share the details about the outside area, but he noted that it is set to be unlike any other street-level drinking and dining space in the CBD. [caption id="attachment_856983" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Il Mercato Centrale in Turin[/caption] The venue will have a 3am liquor license (another rarity for new venues in Melbourne) and be open from 7am–midnight every day of the week. Patikkis commented, "We are beyond delighted by how the space is coming to life and are excited to share the authentic essence of il Mercato Centrale with Australia this September. "Our venue will not only bring a cultural experience never-before seen in Melbourne, it will celebrate the rich tradition of Italian cuisine and hospitality through our dedicated food and beverage artisans. "We look forward to unveiling il Mercato Centrale and becoming a cherished cornerstone of Melbourne's vibrant food and hospitality scene." [caption id="attachment_856981" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Il Mercato Centrale Rome[/caption] Il Mercato Central Melbourne will open at 4pm on Thursday, September 19, and will be found at 546 Collins Street, Melbourne. The Italian market and food hub will be open every day from 7am–midnight. For more details, you can visit the venue's website.
Hordes of imitators have spilled ones and zeros claiming otherwise, but the greatest move The Matrix franchise ever made wasn't actually bullet time. Even 22 years after Lana and Lilly Wachowski brought the saga's instant-classic first film to cinemas, its slow-motion action still wows, and yet they made another choice that's vastly more powerful. It wasn't the great pill divide — blue versus red, as dubiously co-opted by right-wing conspiracies since — or the other binaries at its core (good versus evil, freedom versus enslavement, analogue versus digital, humanity versus machines). It wasn't end-of-the-millennia philosophising about living lives online, the green-tinged cyberpunk aesthetic, or one of the era's best soundtracks, either. They're all glorious, as is knowing kung fu and exclaiming "whoa!", but The Matrix's unwavering belief in Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss is far more spectacular. It was a bold decision those two-and-a-bit decades ago, with Reeves a few years past sublime early-90s action hits Point Break and Speed, and Moss then known for TV bit parts (including, in a coincidence that feels like the product of computer simulation, a 1993 series called Matrix). But, as well as giving cinema their much-emulated gunfire-avoidance technique and all those other aforementioned highlights, the Wachowskis bet big on viewers caring about their central pair — and hooking into their chemistry — as leather-clad heroes saving humanity. Amid the life-is-a-lie horrors, the subjugation of flesh to mechanical overlords and the battle for autonomy, the first three Matrix films always weaved Neo and Trinity's love story through their sci-fi action. Indeed, the duo's connection remained the saga's beating heart. Like any robust computer program executed over and over, The Matrix Resurrections repeats the feat — with plenty of love for what's come before, but even more for its enduring love story. Lana goes solo on The Matrix Resurrections — helming her first-ever project without her sister in their entire career — but she still goes all in on Reeves and Moss. The fourth live-action film in the saga, and fifth overall counting The Animatrix, this new instalment doesn't initially give its key figures their familiar character names, however. Rather, it casts them as famous video game designer Thomas Anderson and motorcycle-loving mother-of-two Tiffany. One of those monikers is familiar, thanks to a surname drawled by Agent Smith back in 1999, and again in 2003 sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. But this version of Thomas Anderson only knows the agent from his own hit gaming trilogy (called The Matrix, naturally). And he doesn't really know Tiffany at all, instead admiring her from afar at Simulatte, their local coffee shop. Before Reeves and Moss share a frame, and before Anderson and Tiffany's awkward meet-cute, The Matrix Resurrections begins with blue-haired hacker Bugs (Jessica Henwick, On the Rocks). She sports a white rabbit tattoo, observes a scene straight out of the first flick and helps set the movie's self-referential tone. As a result, The Matrix Resurrections starts with winking, nodding and déjà vu — and, yes, with a glitch, with Lana and co-screenwriters David Mitchell (author of Cloud Atlas) and Aleksandar Hemon (Sense8) penning a playful script that adores the established Matrix lore, enjoys toying with it and openly unpacks everything that's sprung up around it. Long exposition dumps, some of the feature's worst habits, explain the details, but waking up Anderson from his machine-induced dream — again — is Bugs' number-one aim. The Matrix Resurrections' main task: reteaming Neo and Trinity, and getting them to realise that they even are Neo and Trinity. Once more, Wachowski knows where the saga's heart resides, that its existential dramas are about people, and that the bonds that bind us are our lifeblood. But now that Neo and Trinity inhabit a realm where a game series with the exact same plot as the first three Matrix movies is Anderson's livelihood, the path to simulation-dismantling love is unsurprisingly paved with difficulties. Here are three: the demands by Anderson's business partner (Jonathan Groff, Hamilton) for a sequel to the games, the blue pills prescribed by Anderson's analyst (Neil Patrick Harris, It's a Sin), and Tiffany's husband Chad (played by the John Wick franchise's director Chad Stahelski, who was also Reeves' stunt double in the first Matrix flick) and all he represents. Reviving a romance last seen on-screen 18 years ago, raising its main players from the dead, bringing back other characters in altered guises, liberally weaving in clips from past films — stitched together as it is from oh-so-many familiar parts, you could call The Matrix Resurrections a Frankenstein's monster of a movie. Wachowski has found a rare way to make that a positive more often than not, however, because deprogramming the notion that anything is just one thing alone couldn't be more crucial here. That truth pulsates through the film's action, too, which can't live up to the original and doesn't particularly seem to try. Enough of the movie's fights and chases and sci-fi trickery still look stunning, but The Matrix Resurrections wants audiences to go "whoa!' over its ideas, emotions and meta-philosophising above all else. Even the warmer colour scheme — sorry, fans of futuristic green — casts this new tumble down the rabbit hole in multiple lights. A film can be daring, evolve its franchise while mining nostalgia with care and savvy, and make the utmost of its biggest strengths — Reeves and Moss, clearly, who could melt faces with their chemistry. It can be both fun and funny, and also skewer the company resuscitating it (that'd be Warner Bros, with The Matrix Resurrections doing a superior job of making the joke than the studio's horrible Space Jam: A New Legacy). It can offer a sincere ode to love, human connection and perseverance, too, and transform old parts to make them feel different in the process. Still, while so much about The Matrix Resurrections dazzles — Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Candyman) joining the fold and rocking magnificent suits among them — sometimes it's just clunkily new and clumsily self-referential rather than fresh. Believing in Reeves and Moss remains its biggest superpower, though. If the energy from their timeless on-screen romance can help the world forget how underwhelming The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions both proved, it can fuel this mostly thrilling, almost-always-entertaining look back in the sci-fi mirror.
Visit Balmoral Beach in 2023 and you'll be splashing around in one of the nation's top beaches for this year, no matter when you head by. Make a date with the Sydney patch of sand this winter, however — and with Balmoral Beach's Bathers' Pavilion, to be specific — and you'll also be able to enjoy a meal from a three Michelin-starred English restaurant, with Simon Rogan's L'Enclume making the trip Down Under for the first time ever. For five weeks between Wednesday, July 19–Sunday, August 20, in what marks L'Enclume's debut venture away from its Northern England home, it'll set up shop at Bathers' Pavilion for a residency. British chef and restaurateur Rogan, who is known for his farm-to-table focus, will bring a number of the restaurant's famed dishes our way. In fact, he'll transport a version of the L'Enclume experience beachside from its base in the village of Cartmel in The Lake District in Cumbria, where it resides in a former 13th-century blacksmith workshop. L'Enclume will still operate as usual in the UK during its Sydney residency, too, giving the world two L'Enclumes running at the same time. If you're new to L'Enclume, and to Rogan, both favour the idea of the perfect ingredient. So, in each small and meticulously constructed bite served up, that concept comes to the fore. Across an eight-course menu, plus snacks and petit fours, patrons can expect L'Enclume's favourites — but adapted to use ingredients from New South Wales and Australian producers. The residency is committed to having a traceable menu, and Rogan is already contacting locals, seeking folks who can grow supplies specifically for his time at Balmoral Beach. And yes, Rogan himself will overseeing the Bathers' Pavilion stay, leading the kitchen for every single service. Oli Marlow, Executive Chef of Roganic and Aulis London and Hong Kong, and Sam Ward, Managing Director of Simon Rogan restaurants around the globe, will join him, plus a team from the UK that'll feature up to eight chefs, four front of house staff and a sommelier. Only welcoming in a maximum of 80 attendees per sitting, the intimate residency will also bring over L'Enclume style of service, and have diners eating off of a version of its preferred crockery that'll be handmade in Australia. To help wash down Rogan's precisely fashioned dishes, Rogan's sommeliers are crafting a sizeable wine list, complete with wine pairings to match the food. And, there'll also be a cellar list, with folks with cash to splash on budget-breaking vino able to pre-arrange rare vintages and bottles before their bookings. Setting guests back $420 each for eight courses plus snacks and petit fours, and either $190, $290 or $750 per person for wine pairings on top (or $70 for non-alcoholic sips), this clearly isn't the kind of culinary experience that Aussies get every day — and it's also one that's worth travelling for. If you don't normally call Sydney home, you'll only need to book a jaunt to the Harbour City, rather than the other side of the world. Announcing the residency, Rogan said that "winning three Michelin stars at L'Enclume is a culmination of 20 years of work and evolution by a group of dedicated chefs and front of house specialists". L'Enclume notched up that feat in 2022, when it also hit that 20th anniversary. "The Sydney residency marks a big milestone for us as we enter our third decade and our boundary-pushing team could not be more excited to share our strong sustainability ethos and serve up some of our favourite L'Enclume dishes using the outstanding local ingredients unique to New South Wales and Australia," Rogan continued. "For me, it's all about layers and complexity of flavour, creative produce sourced with a sustainable ethos, and warm and knowledgeable service. It's not just the restaurant which makes the L'Enclume experience, it's the surroundings too, and even though the setting at Bathers' Pavilion on Balmoral Beach couldn't be more different to Cartmel, it feels so similar in its sense of beauty and uniqueness." Find L'Enclume at Bathers' Pavilion, 4 The Esplanade, Balmoral Beach, Mosman from Wednesday, July 19–Sunday, August 20 — open for lunch Tuesday–Sunday and dinner Tuesday–Saturday. Head to the Bathers' Pavilion website for bookings from Tuesday, February 14, or sign up to the Bathers' Pavilion newsletter for updates.
