When the annual World's 50 Best Restaurants announced its picks in 2023, Australia was completely absent, missing out on spots in both the top 50 itself and the 51–100 longlist. Which eateries have made the cut in 2024 is only just starting to be unveiled, beginning with the tail end of the choices — and trust Josh and Julie Niland to help get Aussie hospitality back among the rankings. Saint Peter has taken out 98th place on the 2024 51–100 longlist, and it's the only Australian restaurant named so far. The top 50 itself will be unveiled on Wednesday, June 5, so there's still hope that some more love will be sent Down Under. The last time that there was an Aussie showing in the full 100 was in 2022, when Andrew McConnell's Melbourne diner Gimlet at Cavendish House came in at 84 for its World's 50 Best debut. [caption id="attachment_952313" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Christopher Pearce[/caption] Named ahead of its move in July into The Grand National Hotel, Saint Peter is similarly a new entry, earning praise for the Nilands' famed nose-to-tail approach to the ocean's finest. That ethos has already seen Josh's applauded The Whole Fish Cookbook win him the prestigious James Beard Book of the Year Award back in 2020, becoming the first Australian to ever take out the prize. In 2022, he was the only Australian chef to feature in The Best Chefs Awards for 2022 — aka the list of the top 100 best globally — too. The same year, both Josh and Julie picked up the Game Changer Award from France's La Liste. "Not every restaurant can legitimately claim to be spearheading a movement. Yet this cool concept from Josh Niland takes the great Australian seafood tradition to previously unexplored heights," said the team behind 2024's World's 50 Best Restaurants 51–100 list in this year's rankings. "Known as 'the fish butcher', Niland favours techniques typically associated with meat. With a gill-to-fin approach, he utilises as much of the fish as possible, from eyes to organs, bones to scales – and everything in between. The innovative menu changes daily to reflect that morning's catch," the shoutout went on. [caption id="attachment_952314" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Christopher Pearce[/caption] Australia's hospitality scene hasn't ever dominated the World's 50 Best Restaurants gongs, but not placing at all for 2023 didn't escape attention. Just two Aussie restaurants claimed spots in 2021's awards, both of them Victorian, with Dan Hunter's Brae placing 57th and Ben Shewry's Ripponlea fine diner Attica coming in at number 97. There were no awards in 2020, but Brae and Attica also placed in the longlist in 2019. In 2018, Attica came in 20th and Brae 58th. Australia has had up to four restaurants in the top 50 before, including three when the awards debuted in 2002. The World's 50 Best awards are chosen by a panel of over 1000 culinary experts, guided by a strict voting procedure. They're now hosted by a different country each year, with Melbourne playing host city back in 2017. In 2023, Central in Lima, Peru acme in first. The year's other picks included Disfrutar in Barcelona in second, Diverxo in Madrid in third, Atxondo's Asador Etxebarri in fourth and Copenhagen's Alchemist in fifth. Next came Maido in Lima, Lido 84 in the Gardone Riviera, Atomix in New York, Quintonil in Mexico City and Table by Bruno Verjus in Paris to round out the top ten. Wondering about the best places to eat Down Under, regardless of what the World's 50 Best Restaurants chooses? Check out our picks for the best Sydney and best Melbourne restaurants. [caption id="attachment_811440" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] To check out the World's 50 Best Restaurants 51–100 list, head to the awards' website. The top 50 will be announced on Wednesday, June 5 — and we'll update you then. Top image: Christopher Pearce.
If you're a pet owner, you'll know if can be difficult getting your dog/cat/iguana/parrot/rat from A to B — especially if you don't own a car. Example A: your friend has given you and Fido a ride to the park, then bailed and left you and the fluffy boy stranded. Fido's too big for a box on a bus or a tram, you're nowhere near a train, so you book a taxi, but the drive takes one look at muddy Fido and says no. Thankfully, this type of scenario will be left in the past now Uber Pet has launched in Melbourne today, Thursday, June 25, after successful trials in Sydney and Brisbane. Now available in your Uber app as a separate option — alongside UberX, Comfort and Pool — Uber Pet will match you with a driver who's happy to pick up pets. It'll cost an extra $6–7 per ride, with some of that passed onto the drivers, too. While the cat below may not agree, it's really a win-win scenario. It has been now been rolled out nationally as a permanent option on the app. So, you can plan more trips to dog-friendly pubs, beaches and parks. And get to the vet a little easier (don't tell your cat). While Uber expects cats and dogs will be the most common passengers, it allows any kind of domesticated animal use the service — at the driver's discretion. Assistance and service animals are still allowed in regular Ubers, as they are on all forms of public transport. You can read more about travel for assistance animals in Melbourne here. Uber Pet is now available nationally.
What's huge, oval-shaped, usually confined to the realms of fiction, belongs to a creature that's played a key part in the biggest TV series of the past decade, and currently sitting in Melbourne this very instant? A dragon egg, of course. What can you mosey over to Federation Square to see for the next two days in all of its four-metre-tall glory? What's surrounded by dragon eyes and the flying, fire-breathing critters' silhouettes across buildings around the Victorian capital? That very egg — to the joy of wannabe Targaryens, naturally. Always felt like you belong in the Game of Thrones House with an affinity for scaly beasts? Keen to live out your George RR Martin fandom in any way you can? Need something to do before the Iron Throne visits Melbourne in September? Just so excited about GoT prequel House of the Dragon that you don't know how to cope until it starts airing on Monday, August 22?Here's your answer. If you live elsewhere in the country, though, you'll want to do one of two things: plan an impromptu trip this weekend, or get one of your mates to go along so you can live vicariously through their photos. Either way, the towering egg is only on display at Fed Square from 10am–7pm on Friday, August 19 and 8am–7pm on Saturday, August 20. And, as well as seeing it, taking snaps next to it and peering upwards to spy signs of dragons around Melbourne, you'll want to keep your ears pricked as well — there's a soundscape filled with the calls and noises of dragons echoing around the place, too. The reason for this ovoid pop-up? Promoting House of the Dragon, of course. The series is finally coming after years of speculation, development and announcements about various spinoffs are under consideration (including a Jon Snow-focused sequel) — and this egg is here to prove it. If you've somehow missed all the House of the Dragon news, the show is set 200 years before the events of GoT, and focuses on House Targaryen. Yes, that means that dragons are obviously part of the series — again, hence this giant egg. Also pivotal: a Succession-style battle over who should sit on the Iron Throne, because it wouldn't be a Game of Thrones prequel without it. Anyone in the vicinity of Fed Square can head over to see the egg for free, and get a taste of Australia's latest pop culture-themed installation — after a barber giving out The Gray Man-style goatees and moustaches also did the honours in Melbourne recently, and an Everything Everywhere All At Once-inspired multidimensional laundromat before that. Cinema Nova also decked itself out The French Dispatch-style last summer, while Sydney has seen the giant 'Red Light, Green Light' doll from Squid Game made an appearance by the harbour, and a Stranger Things rift open up on Bondi Beach. This isn't the dragon egg's first local stop, actually. It first arrived at Anglesea, on the beach, on Thursday, August 18 — which clearly would've made quite the sight. Then, it travelled along the Great Ocean Road to Melbourne, ready for two days of GoT devotees in Fed Square. Check out the full House of the Dragon trailer below: Find the House of the Dragon dragon egg at Federation Square, the corner of Swanston and Flinders streets, Melbourne, from 10am–7pm on Friday, August 19 and 8am–7pm on Saturday, August 20. House of the Dragon will start airing on Monday, August 22 Down Under via Foxtel and Binge. Images: Aaron Walker Photography.
Proof that a smart, snappy brunch menu needn't always mean going OTT, Bridge Road's Otto is heroing originality and technique, without going too nuts in the flamboyancy stakes. The space itself is a bright, minimalist edit of clean lines, strip lighting and metallic accents, inspired by the sleek fashion boutiques of New York. Taking pride of place on the counter is a state-of-the-art Slayer Espresso Steam LP coffee machine, which is serving Padre Coffee's chocolatey Daddy's Girl blend. Meanwhile, the food offering features interesting ingredients and clever reworkings of familiar brunch classics. A croque madame swaps bread for a croissant and is loaded with smoked ham hock, fried egg, bechamel and a celeriac apple salad ($18.90), while Otto's version of smashed avo ($18.50) is brought to life with white miso, torched cucumber, freeze-dried peas and gomashio (a salty Japanese seasoning). There's a hand-crumbed wagyu scotch fillet teamed with sauce gribiche, apple slaw and puffed wild rice ($26); a smoky dish of twice-cooked salmon with vongole and mussels in a tom yum broth ($25); a french toast with mango-soaked brioche, wine-poached peaches and frozen nougat ($18.90); and a fluffy hotcake with butterscotch sauce, blueberry gel and mascarpone ($18.50). Brought a date (or a mate)? Go for the share-friendly breakfast platter, starring a sprawling assortment of french toast, kaiserfleisch, fritters, soba noodle salad, scotch egg and mushrooms with egg custard.
The reformer pilates wave isn't slowing down in Melbourne. Ever-new spins in the flexible exercise practice are always arriving, like disco-themed sessions with eucalyptus-scented cool-down towels. Or classes at ultra-luxe wellness clubs that grant access to futuristic recovery facilities. Amidst the high-end hype, a different trend is on the come up — affordable movement. Coming to Richmond on October 5, Reformer Space is shaking up the scene with classes as low as $5. At first glance, the studio looks bright and airy like the rest, except for one key difference: crystal-clear cues and demos are delivered from a screen mounted on the studio's brick walls. The fitness industry has been moving towards tech-driven solutions for years now — with instructor-led workouts at home taking off during the pandemic era, now coalescing into a space dedicated to virtual workouts, complete with all the equipment you need (and don't want cluttering up your living room). These virtual instructions are best for seasoned pilates goers who don't need their form corrected — but don't think that it's easier than a regular class. The physical absence of the pilates instructor doesn't mean that someone isn't counting down your holds excruciatingly slowly (and far too cheerily), if Guardian writer Michael Sun's encounter with the screen-led format is anything to go by. There are over 20 classes at Reformer Space daily (including lunchtime sessions), all accessible via four membership plans. Intense hobbyists can opt for the $118 unlimited monthly plan, which works out to five bucks a pop even if you pace yourself. The priciest (and least frequent) caps off at $14 per class — still a steal from the $25–35 you'd usually pay. And plans run month-to-month, so you can take a break when life gets busy. With a focus on flexibility and affordability, Reformer Space looks like a genuine cost-of-living win. Reformer Space will open on Sunday, October 5th. For more information or to sign up for a membership, visit the website.
This time last year, the Brisbane Street Art Festival was in full swing, with creative folks brightening up the Queensland capital with their artistic work. While the fest ranks among the many, many events changing their plans in 2020, you can still watch street art come to life before your eyes this weekend — via a two-day live stream. Teaming up with Brisbane art space Superordinary, BSAF is unleashing 19 artists on the building. Naturally, they'll be painting up a storm. Every inch of the space will be transformed, and everyone can see it happen. That doesn't just cover street art-loving Brisbanites, either, because online streams are handy that way. The weekend-long event runs across Saturday, May 16–Sunday, May 17, with the action streamed via Twitch. As well as oh-so-much painting, there's also interviews, Q&As and roving performances — all while social distancing. https://www.facebook.com/BrisbaneStreetArt/photos/a.10150176402908346/10158102825878346/?type=3&theater Top image: Gus Eagleton.
It has been 12 years since RuPaul's Drag Race first premiered in the US, and its mission to unearth the next drag superstars shows no signs of stopping. Currently, the original series is reaching the pointy end of its thirteenth season, while international versions also exist in the UK — also hosted by RuPaul — plus Thailand, Holland, Chile and Canada. Next, it's finally making the leap to Australia and New Zealand. RuPaul's Drag Race already airs locally, but now it's being made here as well. The eight-part RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under will focus on Aussie and NZ drag queens battling for supremacy, and will air on Stan in Australia and TVNZ OnDemand in New Zealand. That was announced back in January, with the show's debut set for Saturday, May 1. If you've been wondering exactly what's in store, though, you've probably hanging out for a trailer. And, just a couple of weeks out from the show's arrival, a proper sneak peek is finally here — complete with drama and eye-catching outfits, naturally. While not all overseas iterations of Drag Race are hosted by RuPaul, RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under definitely is. RuPaul is also taking on judging duties, alongside show veteran Michelle Visage and Australian comedian Rhys Nicholson. Ten contenders will strut their stuff for drag supremacy, spanning seven Australians and three New Zealanders. So, prepare to see plenty of Art Simone from Geelong, Melbourne's Karen from Finance, and Sydney's Coco Jumbo, Etecetera Etcetera and Maxi Shield. Newcastle's Jojo Zaho and Perth's Scarlet Adams round out the Aussie queens, while Auckland's Kita Mean, Anita Wigl'it and Elektra Shock comprise the NZ contingent. Fans already know the format, which features fashion challenges, workroom dramas and lip sync battles aplenty. If you're a newcomer to all things Drag Race, you'll watch these Australian and NZ competitors work through a series of contests to emerge victorious, and join the likes of US contenders Jinkx Monsoon, Sasha Velour and Sharon Needles in being crowned the series' winner. Check out the RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdcgf5I6Qb8&feature=youtu.be RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under will start streaming via Stan and TVNZ from Saturday, May 1, with new episodes airing weekly. Top image: RuPaul's Drag Race.
UPDATE: Wednesday, September 8 — This event has moved from Saturday, September 11 to Saturday, September 18. The article has been updated to reflect this. Have you been feeling a little languid lately? Have the long days in lockdown taken a toll on your wellbeing? If you're looking for something to help pull you out of hibernation and bounce you right into spring, this one's for you. On Saturday, September 18, you can join Naomi Ingelton from Beechworth's Farmacy Co Clinic for Home Herbalist, a 90-minute, interactive natural remedy workshop. Ingelton has a background in organic horticulture and is a qualified Ayurvedic lifestyle practitioner and herbalist. In this workshop, she'll show you how to make an elderberry tonic that helps to support the immune system, a 'focus tea' to promote sleep, digestion and reduce stress, and a 'cooling tea', too. To make sure you've got everything you need to create these concoctions, Farmacy Co Clinic will send you a remedy kit with all the essentials. Inside the pack you'll find 20 herb sachets, an apothecary bottle, two apothecary jars, herb function information, apple cider vinegar and more. All you need to add are some household items including saucepans, a teapot, colander, mixing bowl, four jars, honey and some water. Sound like the the lift you need to get you through lockdown? Home Herbalist with Farmacy Co will kick off at 4.30pm on Saturday, September 18. For more information and to book, visit the website.
The pursuit of the American Dream at any cost has long been a fertile device for screenwriters. Just recently, both American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street showcased the extraordinary true stories of money-hungry shysters determined to rise above their humble or inauspicious beginnings, no matter the consequences. Similarly, Margin Call and The Big Short offered portraits of success attained by comparably distasteful (if rather more legitimate) means. In the context of these films, Gold, by writer-director Stephen Gaghan falls somewhere in between. Based on the real life events of the 1990s Bre-X Minerals fiasco, the film chronicles the rise and fall of a simple American prospector turned overnight millionaire named Kenny Wells (Matthew McConaughey). Balding, overweight and down to his last dime, Kenny's a third generation mining prospector staving off foreclosure of his family business, a predicament that renders him more than willing to embrace all that wealth and power can provide once they're suddenly within his grasp. Where the film departs from the norm, at least notionally, is that Kenny always maintains that his drive and determination is grounded in the discovery of gold, not the money that it provides. Gold hence finds itself in the peculiar position of framing the story as one of 'us versus them' in which both the us (simple prospectors) and them (hedge fund managers and mining companies) are ludicrously wealthy. Money itself is not the point of distinction but rather how that money was acquired: 'dirt in the nails grit' versus 'manhattan investment', so to speak. McConaughey delivers a committed and captivating performance; one for which he gained a full 18kgs to ensure his sizeable beer gut required neither special effects nor prosthetics. Gripped by a fever determined to kill him, and grappling with a Hail Mary mining prospect in the jungles of Indonesia that refuses to yield even a hint of gilded hope, McConaughey's performance oozes doggedness and desperation in equal measures. Opposite him, Édgar Ramírez puts in a far more reserved turn as Wells' geologist and business partner Michael Acosta. Together they make a likeable duo, and it's a crying shame how little of the film Ramírez actually occupies. Unfortunately, despite the fine work of the cast, Gold feels like a story unsure of how best to be told, flicking between Scorsese-esque drama and quirky irreverence. None of the characters feel entirely fleshed out, and are instead presented more like passengers on a plot line that prioritises events over individuals. The movie's eventual 'twist', meanwhile, is legitimately surprising to those unfamiliar with the Bre-X story, however its reveal so close to the end renders the remaining few minutes far too rushed to sufficiently deal with its impact and implications. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdLXPv5NsA4
Things are starting to get pretty frosty in Melbourne, so the team at Welcome To Thornbury are heating up a plan to help warm your weekend — a mini festival dedicated to mulled wine and hot cheese. The party's set to take over the High Street food truck park from noon, this Saturday, May 27, pulling together a selection of hot, gooey creations from some of the city's favourite cheese-slinging vendors. This is where all your cheesiest dreams come true, chowing down on lush cheese fondue from Frencheese, The Cheese Rebels' decadent haloumi sausages, a raclette burger from the folks at Mr Burger, and other treats from the likes of That Arancini Guy, Crepes for Change, and Sparrow's Philly Cheesesteaks. Of course, you won't find a better drink match to all that rich, melty dairy than some hot, spiced booze, so the bar will be rounding out its usual offerings with a special mulled wine, available all day long.
The world contains a vivid tapestry of diverse countries and cultures, each woven with its own unique traditions and celebrations. What better way to immerse yourself in the culture of a region than joining in with the festivities? From the rhythmic beats of Carnival to the kaleidoscopic lights of Diwali, take a step beyond the typical tourist trail with Intrepid Travel. Discover the heartbeat of a place through the lens of its most enchanting festivities. It's time to pack your bags, strap on some comfy shoes and create memories that transcend borders. Diwali The festival of lights is celebrated worldwide, but experiencing it in India itself is something else entirely. Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights. It symbolises the victory of light over darkness, goodness over evil and knowledge over ignorance. There are variations across the region and the different local religions of the country. Some things are always included: lots and lots of candles, lights and delicious food. The festival happens in the first weeks of November to tie in with the darkest days of the year (in India). Time your adventure to this stunning country to coincide with the festival so you can see the magic of the celebrations with the locals. Dia De Los Muertos Feel the mystical vibes of the weird and wonderful Dia de los Muertos, the annual Day of the Dead festival, in Mexico City. Participate in a traditional Day of the Dead ceremony and see elaborate altars dedicated to those who have passed. Enjoy delicious tacos and other street food at the openair Mercado Jamaica, and venture outside the city to see the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon at Teotihuacan. If you are passing through the capital on your exploration of Central America, time your travel so you can be there for this iconic festival. [caption id="attachment_969162" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Heejin Yu via iStock[/caption] Kwita Inzina If you're all about nature conservation, attend the Kwita Izina ceremony in Rwanda to see the on-the-ground efforts of those fighting the good fight for Mother Earth. That's exactly what you can do with this on-the-ground tour in Rwanda. It puts you in the middle of the ceremony, an adaptation of a traditional Rwandan naming ceremony where locals name and celebrate newborn local gorillas. The festival includes a mix of formal speeches from conservationists and celebrity guests, plus music and dance performances. Prepare to go with the flow and be whisked into the celebrations, as participation is encouraged. The entire region comes together to celebrate the festival and conservation of these beautiful animals. Halloween Bram Stoker may not have intended it, but thanks to the setting of his novel, Dracula, in Transylvania, locals now celebrate his creation based on local legends with a next-level celebration on All Hallow's Eve. Head to central Europe to Bucharest, Romania and explore the haunting beauty of Sighisoara (the birthplace of the infamous creature of the night) and spooky Bran Castle (aka Count Dracula's castle) in Brasov. Break out your scariest costumes for a spooky Halloween party in Cluj-Napoca — the former capital of the historical principality of Transylvania. Christmas The Christmas season just hits different when it's in Europe. Snow falls on rooftops of buildings and market stalls on narrow cobbled streets as stallholders give out mulled wine, chimney cakes, hot cider, pretzels, hot chocolate and sweet treats to the tourists and locals meandering from stall to stall. If a trip to Central Europe is on the cards, be sure to time it so you can explore the famous Christmas markets from Munich to Budapest. And the best way to travel in Europe? By train, of course. Carnival Bright colours, headdresses and more feathers than you can count — Carnival is the world's greatest party on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, just waiting for you to rock up. Witness an elaborate parade of floats and dancers in the Sambadrome, which stretches into the wee hours. Samba your way through non-stop action, join the conga line with the locals and move to the rhythm of the drum-fuelled street fiestas. Whether you're journeying through Brazil on an epic adventure or specifically going to Rio de Janeiro for the fest, it's definitely not to miss. Naadam While the Greeks have the Olympics, the Mongols have Naadam. This festival might not be well known, but it is the best time of the year to see Mongolia. The annual colourful festival is a centuries-old tradition that dates back to the Khans and their dynasties. Expect archery, wrestling and horse racing — the primary skills a Mongol warrior requires. While in the area, explore the stunning natural landscapes of central Mongolia, such as Baga Gazriin Chuluu (granite rocks worshipped by locals), the Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs and the dunes of Khongoriin, called the 'singing sands' by locals for the whistling sound made by small avalanches of sand on a windy day. Get out, explore, dive into adventure and find your WOW with Intrepid Travel. Find out more on the website.
There's no doubting who Bob Marley: One Love is about, but the Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard)-directed biopic also brings two other big-screen portraits of music superstars to mind. There's always a dance through a legend's history flickering somewhere, or close to it, with the initial dramatised look at the reggae icon arriving after Bohemian Rhapsody and Elvis both proved major hits in recent years. Where the first, which focused on Freddie Mercury, had Live Aid, Bob Marley: One Love has the One Love Peace Concert. Both are gigs to build a movie around, and both features have done just that. Baz Luhrmann's portrait of the king of rock 'n' roll wanted its audience to understand what it was like to watch its namesake, be in his presence and feel entranced by every hip thrust — and, obviously without the gyrating pelvis, Bob Marley: One Love also opts for that approach. Enter Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley, in a vital piece of casting. Although it may not earn him an Oscar as Bohemian Rhapsody did Rami Malek (Oppenheimer), or even a nomination as Elvis scored for Austin Butler (Masters of the Air), the British actor turns in a phenomenal performance. He's worlds away from being a Ken in Barbie. He isn't in wholly new territory seeing that he played Malcolm X in One Night in Miami and Barack Obama in TV series The Comey Rule. He's also magnetic and mesmerising — and, in the process, expresses how and why Marley was magnetic and mesmerising. Ben-Adir's vocals are blended with Marley's. Accordingly, you're largely listening to the singer himself. But there's a presence about Ben-Adir in the part, perfecting Jamaican patois, getting kinetic and uninhibited in his movement while he's behind the microphone, radiating charisma, but also conveying purpose and self-possession. It's a portrayal that's as entrancing and alive as the music that's always echoing alongside it; with Marley's discography, that's saying something. Ben-Adir shares the part with Quan-Dajai Henriques, the acting debutant who gives the movie its younger version of Marley. That comes via sporadic flashbacks, which means that Lashana Lynch (The Marvels) also shares her role as Bob's wife and backup singer Rita with Nia Ashi (another feature first-timer) as the teen version. Green and his co-scribes Terence Winter (an Academy Award-nominee for The Wolf of Wall Street), Frank E Flowers (LeBron James biopic Shooting Stars) and Zach Baylin (Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story, and returning from King Richard) ground their picture in the elder Marley's life, though — not that, because he died at the age of 36, he could ever truly be deemed elder. The bulk of the feature is set between 1976–78, and between two Kingston concerts. Both were designed to help address Jamaica's political unrest, with two parties clashing and the impact of British colonialism still felt. Not only that peace and freedom were instrumental in Marley's message, but why, is a core element of the film. "Do you believe music can end the violence?" Marley is asked in Bob Marley: One Love's opening, where he's fronting the press days out from 1976's Smile Jamaica show. Green signals one of the movie's fundamental musings at the outset, then, as well as his intent to unpack how his subject aimed to counter not just political but human turmoil through his music and Rastafarian beliefs (his initial embrace of the religion, as well as his early courtship with Rita, fuels most of the film's jumps backwards). Marley is also queried about whether he harbours any fears about putting on the gig. He says no and soon demonstrates it, after an attempt is made on his life at his home studio two days out from the concert. Rita was among the victims shot, and survived. The show goes on, then Marley goes into exile in London, while Rita takes the kids to the US. To get to Bob Marley: One Love's second big Jamaican performance involves charting the defining aspect of Marley's career during that period: 1977 album Exodus. Recorded in the UK, and home to not just its own titular track but the flick's (and also 'Jamming', 'Turn Your Lights Down Low' and 'Three Little Birds'), it's as influential as albums get — and, again, unfurling the trains of thought driving it is one of the feature's motivations. There's few surprises in how Green brings this to the screen, complete with recording sessions, producer Chris Blackwell's (James Norton, Happy Valley) fingerprints and montages of the finished product flying off shelves, plus the rapturous response as it's toured. That there's several established templates in giving a star's story the filmic treatment reverberates through Bob Marley: One Love, in fact, even as it avoids the dutiful birth-to-death timeline. But the movie always has Ben-Adir imparting energy and vibrancy, and Lynch as well — and a determination to make this Rita's tale, stepping into the complications in their marriage, as well as Bob's. Notably unrelated to One Love: The Bob Marley Musical, the stage production about the legend — even if it uses plenty of the same Bob Marley and The Wailers songs, such as 'Get Up, Stand Up', 'War', 'Redemption Song', 'No Woman, No Cry', 'Is This Love' and 'I Shot the Sheriff' — Bob Marley: One Love unavoidably hits familiar beats. Enlivening those predictable moves are its tunes, compelling story and powerhouse central performances. This is a deeply respectful effort: Rita is among the producers, alongside her and Bob's children Ziggy and Cedella; Stephen, their third-born, is the music supervisor. Love was always going to shine through. The tunes were always going to resound with power and affection. The tale itself was always certain to prove inherently absorbing. Its casting couldn't be more important, however. After a lengthy search to find its Bob, Ben-Adir is a force of warmth, calm and potency — gifting the picture the kind of portrayal that it couldn't live without — while Lynch is formidably fierce as Rita. For a movie about someone so revolutionary, Bob Marley: One Love mightn't earn that description itself, but it does deliver the tribute it's striving for, celebrate Marley's message as much as his music and contextualise one helluva record. Indeed, where Bohemian Rhapsody was the silver-screen equivalent of a greatest-hits album and Elvis took its cues from concert spectaculars, Bob Marley: One Love is a jam-session type of flick. When it briefly recreates live shows, it does so with verve, as aided by cinematographer Robert Elswit (also back from King Richard). And yet, while Smile Jamaica and the One Love Peace Concert are pivotal — including structurally to the narrative — they aren't the primary way that the film lets its audience experience Marley's impact. When Bob Marley: One Love dives into Bob's creativity and just enjoys being in the moment with its take on the singer, it cuts deeper; no one is merely jamming in making this movie, but it hopes its viewers like jamming with Marley, too.
One of the most significant films in the history of Greek Cinema will be screened under the stars in the inaugural 2014 MPavilion, now located in the courtyard of Melbourne's Hellenic Museum. Released in 1962 to widespread acclaim — including a win for Best Cinematic Transposition at the Cannes Film Festival and an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film — Michael Cacoyannis' Electra brings the Euripidean tragedy to the silver screen. Part of the Hellenic Museum's ongoing summer cinema series, featuring a different iconic picture every week, the event will also feature mouthwatering Greek-style BBQ lamb, ancient grain salads, a Greek coffee version of the classic movie choc top, plus a wide selection of Hellenic beverages. Food and drink starts at 7pm, giving you plenty of time to fill your stomach before the movie begins at sundown.
Whenever 90s rom-com Pretty Woman comes to mind, Roy Orbison's song likely does as well. When the musical based on the hit flick arrives in Australia for the first time, you'll be getting Bryan Adams tunes lodged in your head, too. The Canadian singer-songwriter helped bring the Julia Roberts (Leave the World Behind)- and Richard Gere (The Agency)-starring film to the stage, penning the music and lyrics for the show — and during his latest Aussie tour, it was announced that Pretty Woman: The Musical is finally heading Down Under, debuting in Brisbane. From Sunday, October 5, 2025, the late 80s-set tale of Vivian met Edward will roll into the QPAC Lyric Theatre in the Queensland capital, following a romance that's already fuelled a box-office smash as a movie, then premiered on Broadway in 2018 as a theatre production. If you've seen the film, you'll know the story, as an escort and a corporate raider fall in love — and you'll also know that it made Roberts a star, complete with a Golden Globe win, plus her first Best Actress Oscar nomination. Alongside America's most-famous theatre district, where it broke records at the Nederlander Theatre, Pretty Woman: The Musical has graced the stage in London's West End, plus Spain, Italy, Poland and Germany. There's no word yet regarding the local cast, so who'll be following in Roberts and Gere's footsteps — and Laura San Giacomo (NCIS) and Hector Elizondo's (Mr Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie) as well — hasn't been announced. Whether Pretty Woman: The Musical will head to other Australian stops also hasn't yet been revealed. Behind the curtain, Adams worked with his songwriting partner Jim Vallance, who he wrote 'Summer of '69', 'Run to You', 'Cuts Like a Knife' and 'Heaven' with, on the music and lyrics. Late filmmaker Garry Marshall (Mother's Day), who directed the Pretty Woman movie — plus Roberts and Gere's on-screen reunion in 1999 in Runaway Bride — penned the book with the OG flick's screenwriter JF Lawnton (Yellow River Christmas). Images: UK tour, Marc Brenner.
Aunty Donna have been busy over the past few years. Since 2020, they've brought both Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun and Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe to the small screen. They've played corpses in Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, and also dropped a $30 bottle of wine that's literally called $30 Bottle of Wine, too. The Australian comedy troupe embarked upon a world tour in 2023 as well, selling 90,000-plus tickets. If you're keen to see Mark Samual Bonanno, Broden Kelly and Zachary Ruane live, your next chance in Melbourne happens in 2025. Aunty Donna are hitting the stage again — and in the Victorian Capital, the Palais Theatre is their destination, playing nightly between Friday, December 12–Sunday, December 14 and Wednesday, December 16–Saturday, December 20. This time, audiences will enjoy the Drem experience, with Aunty Donna unveiling their brand-new live sketch show. Will everything be a drum again? Will morning brown get a tribute? How much room should you leave for Christmas pud? If you're instantly thinking about these questions, you're clearly already a fan. In the trailer for the tour, Bonanno, Kelly and Ruane are promising big things in their comedic usual way. "In 2025, Aunty Donna will be touring the greatest live comedy show ever seen by human beings," the trailer advises. "You have asked 'is it funny?'," it continues. "Leading experts in the field have made it perfectly clear that it is the best comedy show ever made."
When Yours and Owls announced that it wasn't going ahead in 2024, joining the long list of music festivals scrapping plans for this year, it thankfully only put its fun on hold for a year. Returning in 2025 was always the intention, and now that big comeback has dates. Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 1–Sunday, March 2. Yours and Owls didn't completely sit 2024 out, however. Earlier in October, it held a pre-party, aka the event you put on when you can't put on the full festival experience at your usual time of the year because it doesn't work for your headliners' calendars. So, a tunes-filled shindig still took over the University of Wollongong campus — complete with Golden Features, Peking Duk, Alice Ivy, Anna Lunoe and more — to keep things warm for next year. [caption id="attachment_965220" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] There's no word yet as to who'll be taking to the stage when Yours and Owls starts autumn 2025 in the best possible way, but organisers have advised to expect details soon. It's been a rollercoaster ride of a few years for the fest. It only turned into its new site in 2023 after it was forced to cancel in 2022 when La Niña flooded its Stuart Park venue. Affectionately labelled 'Gong Christmas', Yours and Owls moved to UOW as part of the fest and university's three-year partnership, with the all-weather solutions available at the campus cited as one of the driving factors behind the team-up — plus the uni's picturesque green spaces and a mutual commitment towards carbon-emission reduction. [caption id="attachment_906428" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jess Gleeson[/caption] 2023's Yours and Owls featured Oliver Tree, Chet Faker and Descendents, and also Hilltop Hoods, Earl Sweatshirt, Golden Features, Ocean Alley, Flight Facilities and Pendulum — so expect 2025's fest to be worth waiting for. Confirmation that the event will be back next year follows locked in details for the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 for a heap of fellow festivals, such as Laneway, Golden Plains, Bluesfest (for the last time), Wildlands, Good Things, Lost Paradise, Beyond The Valley and Meredith. [caption id="attachment_906426" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ruby Bowland[/caption] [caption id="attachment_906427" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] Yours and Owls will return to Wollongong on Saturday, March 1–Sunday, March 2, 2025. Head to the festival website for more details.
The Yarra Valley is set to score its first big name hotel, with IHG announcing plans to open one of its new 'voco' accommodation sites there in 2021. The 170-room hotel, which has nabbed a hillside address in Lilydale, will feature its own on-site gin distillery, natural amphitheatre, mirrored maze, lavender farm and a providore selling local produce. Across one quirkily designed main building and 20 standalone cabins, it'll boast a gym, a restaurant and multiple bars with views across the region. Less than an hour out of Melbourne, it's in a prime location for visitors hitting the Yarra Valley's famed wine region and is on the way to popular ski field Mt Buller. Launched in June, voco is IHG's newest brand, pitched at delivering accommodation options that are upscale, yet fun. The same group has announced it'll be opening a Holiday Inn in Coburg in 2020, and has plans for 22 more hotels to launch across Australasia. voco is slated to open at 486 Maroondah Highway, Lilydale in 2021.
For more than a year now, we've all been paying extra attention to maps — but not just to show us how to get from one place to another. Thanks to all manner of handy online diagrams, we've been using maps to see which venues have been visited by COVID-19 cases, and also to work out how far we can travel during lockdowns. Now, with vaccinations an important focus at this stage of the pandemic, there's also a particularly nifty interactive map that'll help you work out where to get the jab. If you're familiar with COVID-19 Near Me, the statewide map that draws upon Victorian Government's register of locations that positive COVID-19 cases have visited, then you already know where to head for this new map. It's actually an added function on the existing website, which now comes with two options at the top: exposure sites and vaccination clinics. Like the exposure venues part of the map, the statewide diagram gives locations specific hues depending on how the clinics operate. A grey dot is used if the clinic doesn't take online bookings, a purple dot indicates that it's an AstraZeneca clinic and a blue dot shows a Pfizer clinic. This map isn't run by the Victorian Government — it's just powered by its official data. So, Victorian residents are urged to also check the official Victorian Department of Health website as well. At the time of writing, the map was last updated on Sunday, August 8. At present, all adults in Australia can opt for the AstraZeneca vaccine as long as you give a doctor your informed consent before you go ahead. Since Thursday, June 17, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has recommended the use of AstraZeneca vaccine in people aged over 60 only due to the risk of rare blood clotting disorders that've been linked to the vaccine when given to younger folks. That change followed an early recommendation back in April, which noted the AstraZeneca vaccine wasn't preferred for anyone under 50. But since late June, as announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, anyone of any age, including those under 60, can still get the AZ jab — after making an informed decision by talking to a doctor. For people under 40 who'd prefer the Pfizer vaccine, you need to fall into a specific group to access it at present, as the nation's vaccination rollout hasn't yet opened up the Pfizer jab to that age group. That means that adults aged up to 39 aren't yet eligible to get the Pfizer vaccination unless you're of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent; work in quarantine, border or healthcare roles; work or live in an aged care or disability facility; work in a critical and high-risk job such as defence, fire, police, emergency services and meat processing; have an underlying medical condition or significant disability; are pregnant; or participate in the NDIS, or care for someone who does. You can check out all existing COVID-19 vaccination clinics at covid19nearme.com.au. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria, head to the Victorian Department of Health website. Images: COVID-19 Near Me as of Monday, August 9.
Flipping through a newspaper, feeling the flimsy paper in your hands and finding your fingerprints smudged with ink might by a dying ritual; however The Wall Street Journal is hoping that people still want to take the time to sit, peruse and consume the news at a leisurely pace. Instead of hanging out at a cafe rifling through physical pages, readers can now enter an architect-designed virtual New York apartment to get their news fix thanks to the publication's just-launched VR news app. WSJ VR is the newspaper's new virtual reality app for Google's Daydream platform, ushering news junkies into a different kind of reading experience. Now available to download via Google Play, it allows users to view a wall filled with a live feed of breaking news, watch interactive 360-degree videos and see a visualisation of real-time market data, all in swanky digs designed by architecture firm Michaelis Boyd. Interactive storytelling is the WSJ's main focus, particularly allowing "the Journal's reporters and editors to take readers and viewers of our journalism anywhere in the world," said Andy Regal, WSJ's Global Head of Video, in a statement. Whether that's something anyone actually wants is yet to be seen, but it's certainly quite different to scrolling through newsfeeds on a smartphone screen. Users can do more than read, watch and see the news while they're using the app; they can also engage with the space — which is based on a mix of the firm's real-life residential projects — on a 360-degree axis. Accordingly, even if you're not keen on staying up-to-date on global events and financial developments in the most immersive way possible, the app also offers views of the New York City skyline — and it's cheaper than a plane ticket. Via Dezeen.
If the thought of holidaying with three other couples sends a sense of dread through your system, imagine running a business like that. But for the eight people behind Fitzroy's recently opened Sir Charles, that's their chosen reality. Stephen and Angela McGinness's old bagelry near the corner of Brunswick and Johnston streets has been transformed, and they are joined at the helm of this new space by Axil Roasters' Dave Makin and Zoe Delany, hospitality pros Andy and Kat Smith, and chef Tyler Preston and his interior designer wife Georgina Lee. That's a lot of cooks — so it's lucky they seem to have figured out how not to spoil the broth. The result is a clean, expansive and contemporary space; it's the type of cafe we've come to expect and rely on in this city. The breakfast and lunch menus are similarly streamlined, and both served until 4pm daily. The food carries modern flavours and Asian sensibilities (thanks to Preston's time in the Chin Chin kitchen), with the breakfast menu in particular offering some interesting surprises. Think granola with chai milk and citrus labne ($9.50), eggs benedict with panko-crumbed eggs and Sriracha hollandaise ($18) and miso scrambled eggs ($17). At dinnertime on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Sir Charles offers small, medium and large plates — from Korean fried chicken wings ($11) and kingfish sashimi ($16), through to sticky pork belly with apple and herb salad and green nam jim ($21.50) and pan fried duck breast with pickled watermelon and lychee salad ($23.50). You're pretty covered no matter what your hunger level — especially when there's sticky black rice with sweet coconut and bruleed banana on hand fill any remaining gaps. Whilst it's easy to appreciate the white/blonde/copper decor palette, enjoy a menu with an Asian twist and find merit in any place that serves wine or beer (or indeed a flat white) alongside Korean fried chicken and Wagyu sandwiches at 3pm in the afternoon, this is nothing revolutionary. Sir Charles could be described as an all-round very pleasant experience. And that's no bad thing — it's just not mind-blowing either. Unless, of course, you spend the whole time thinking about running a business with three other couples. Or being on holiday with them all.
Keeping the romance alive can be difficult when your girlfriend is thousands of miles away and sometimes phonecalls, frequent visits and even video chat don't cut it. But Walter C. May has officially upped the ante on romantic gestures with this viral love letter. With his roommates, who just happen to be a band called the Daylights, May wrote a song called "I Hope This Gets To You", filmed silvery hands coming together to form faces that mouth the lyrics and unleashed it upon the Interwebs. It's already been tweeted by Katy Perry. May is hoping this video reaches his girlfriend, who's on the other side of the country at grad school, solely through the power of the viral internet, because he wants to show his lady that they "can feel close without having to be close every day." All together now: Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. https://youtube.com/watch?v=EjgtxVxE14A [via Gizmodo]
First, the bad news: if you don't already have a ticket to Laneway Festival 2025 in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to see Charli XCX, Djo, Beabadoobee, Clairo, Barry Can't Swim, Remi Wolf and more, they've completely soldout. Now, some good news: in each of the three east coast cities, Laneway has just announced official afterparties. The small club shows will feature STÜM, RONA. and Fcukers, plus others, with the lineup varying per location — and it's your next chance to get in on the Laneway action. The dates for the three shindigs are obviously the same as the Laneway dates in each destination. Accordingly, Brisbane's turn comes on Saturday, February 8, then Sydney's on Sunday, February 9 and Melbourne's on Friday, February 14. As for venues, River City revellers are headed to The Brightside, Harbour City residents to Oxford Art Factory and folks in the Victorian capital have a date with The Night Cat. In Brissie, STÜM, DJ Ivan Berko, nate sib and Cyber DJs will be taking to the stage. Sydney's gig features RONA., Fcukers doing a DJ set, DJ Ivan Berko popping up again, and both Loosie Grind and BEMAN. And in Melbourne, RONA. and DJ Ivan Berko are back, as is nate sib, alongside Laneway Festival's own DJs. Tickets are limited — so, like all things Laneway, getting in fast is recommended. As for the festival itself, if you've been lucky enough to nab tix, its lineup also features BICEP doing their CHROMA AV DJ set, Olivia Dean, Eyedress, Skegss, Hamdi, Joey Valence & Brae, 2hollis, Ninajirachi, Julie, Girl and Girl, and more. For its 2025 season, the event started by Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio in the mid-00s is also headed to Bonython Park in Adelaide and Wellington Square in Perth in Australia — but without afterparties. Laneway Festival 2025 Afterparties Saturday, February 8 — The Brightside, Brisbane, with STÜM, DJ Ivan Berko, nate sib and Cyber DJs Sunday, February 9 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, with RONA., Fcukers, DJ Ivan Berko, Loosie Grind and BEMAN Friday, February 14 — The Night Cat, Melbourne, with RONA., DJ Ivan Berko, nate sib and Laneway Festival's DJs Laneway Festival 2025 Dates and Venues Thursday, February 6 – Western Springs, Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau Saturday, February 8 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane / Turrbal Targun Sunday, February 9 — Centennial Park, Sydney / Burramattagal Land & Wangal Land Friday, February 14 — Flemington Park, Melbourne / Wurundjeri Biik Saturday, February 15 — Bonython Park, Adelaide / Kaurna Yerta Sunday, February 16 — Wellington Square, Perth / Whadjuk Boodjar [caption id="attachment_975321" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Harley Weir[/caption] Laneway Festival 2025 Lineup Charli XCX Beabadoobee Clairo Barry Can't Swim BICEP present CHROMA (AV DJ set) Djo Remi Wolf Olivia Dean Eyedress Skegss STÜM RONA Hamdi Joey Valence & Brae 2hollis Fcukers Ninajirachi Julie Girl and Girl + Triple J unearthed winners [caption id="attachment_975961" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Guido Gazzilli[/caption] St Jerome's Laneway Festival is touring Australia in February 2025. Head to the festival's website for further details and tickets. Afterparties are being held at the fest's east coast stops — with tickets on sale for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane's events now. Laneway festival images: Charlie Hardy / Daniel Boud / Maclay Heriot / Cedric Tang.
With Irma Vep, French filmmaker Olivier Assayas (Wasp Network) retraces his own footsteps, turning his cult-favourite 1996 movie of the same name into an Alicia Vikander-starring HBO miniseries. There's more to that act both on- and off-screen, and Assayas couldn't be having more fun with the whole concept. But first, David Lynch's Twin Peaks deserves a mention. No, not just because it's always worth thinking about. When that cult-favourite series returned in 2017 after a quarter-century gap, it ended its 18-hour run by asking "what year is this?". That query made complete sense in the show's narrative with its Lynchian logic; however, it's also as perfect a comment on the state of entertainment today as anything could utter. In Lynch's hands, Twin Peaks was never going to feel like slipping cosily back into the past to rehash old glories. Almost everything else that's hit screens of late can't make that claim, though. Among 2022's big box-office successes so far sits the latest Batman flick, the 28th Marvel movie, a 36-years-later sequel, the 11th Wizarding World instalment, yet another Spider-Man film and more Ghostbusters; what year is this indeed? Irma Vep doesn't belong in their company, however. It slides into streaming queues knowing the everything-old-is-new-again status quo, and probing, challenging and satirising it. It also jokes about whether an episodic project aired on TV can really be a movie, playfully riffing on the chatter about Twin Peaks' third season — and it's one of the best things to reach television since that masterpiece. Streaming weekly in Australia via Binge since Tuesday, June 7, and in New Zealand via Neon from Tuesday, June 14, Irma Vep also requires some unpacking. The term 'layered' has rarely ever applied to a show quite as it does here. So, Assayas remakes his own film — and the resulting series follows a director remaking one of his own past flicks as a TV project, too. In all versions of Irma Vep, the movies and shows being made are also remakes of 1915–16 French crime effort Les Vampires. It was a ten-episode, seven-hour cinema serial, and it's supremely real. Indeed, by first helming a feature about remaking Les Vampires, and now a series about remaking a movie that remakes Les Vampires (which, IRL, is also a remake of a movie that remakes Les Vampires), Assayas keeps remaking Les Vampires in his own way. The nested dolls that are Irma Vep's meta setup just keep stacking. The 1996 Irma Vep starred Maggie Cheung, who'd later become Assayas' wife, then ex-wife — and the 2022 Irma Vep haunts its on-screen filmmaker René Vidal (Vincent Macaigne, Non-Fiction) with visions of his ex-wife Jade Lee (Vivian Wu, Dead Pigs), who, yes, led his movie. If you're a fan of word puzzles, you might've also noticed that Irma Vep is an anagram of vampire; that said, Les Vampires isn't actually about bloodsuckers, and nor is any iteration of Irma Vep. To add to the list, while Cheung played a version of herself, Vikander (Blue Bayou, The Green Knight) plays fictional American star Mira — a name that's an anagram of Irma. You can also take that moniker literally, because mirroring is patently a pivotal aspect of Irma Vep in every guise. This lengthy roster of links, nods and connections isn't done yet, with René clearly a fictionalised version of Assayas, and the latter finding inspiration for Mira elsewhere in his career. Two of his recent gems, the sublime duo that is Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper, both starred Kristen Stewart — and spotting similarities between her professional and personal lives and Mira's is oh-so-easy. In fact, Mira signs up for René's new Irma Vep after leading huge Hollywood hits, then yearning for more complex and substantial work. She also has a famous actor ex, Eamonn (Tom Sturridge, the upcoming The Sandman), and moved on with her now-former personal assistant Laurie (Adria Arjona, Morbius). As delightful as it is for diehard cinephiles, knowing all of the above isn't essential before watching Irma Vep 2.0. It helps put viewers on its wavelength, though — and this is a show that's all about wavelengths. René can't find his, with the production plagued by insurance woes, actors demanding either big sex scenes (Sorry Angel's Vincent Lacoste) or crack (Proxima's Lars Eidinger), and a financier who only stumped up the cash to get Mira to front his new perfume line. Amid that chaos, and after finishing promotional duties on her last blockbuster (and running into the now-married Laurie in the process), Mira attempts to plunge as deeply as she can into her role. She adores the black velvet catsuit that costume designer Zoe (Jeanne Balibar, Memoria) has fashioned — almost as much as Zoe visibly adores her — and, even under her new assistant Regina's (newcomer Devon Ross) watchful eye, immerses herself in playing Irma Vep far more than the script requires. Everyone's sinking their teeth into something here, or trying to, just as Assayas bites into a smart and savvy satire about the entertainment industry. Everyone's feasting on something, too, including Hollywood's insatiable need to devour itself one sequel and remake at a time. Irma Vep tackles these ideas, and parodies the incessant lust for more and more screen content, the perils and perks of fame, on-set antics and plenty of online discussion about cinema over the past decade, all while musing on the lines between art and reality as well. Oh, and while throwing in a wonderful Emily in Paris gag. But Assayas is an arthouse auteur above all else, and he's always grounded and naturalistic rather than campy and farcical — even when Irma Vep is hilarious, which is often. In contemplating why we consume art, or make it so that others can (and for others still to capitalise upon), he also revels in both dissecting and simply hanging out among behind-the-scenes shenanigans. If that wasn't all phenomenal enough — and equally thoughtful, playful and savagely clever — Irma Vep is hypnotically lensed like it belongs on the big screen. It also shimmers with the full force of Vikander at her absolute best (yes, better than her Oscar-winning turn in The Danish Girl). There's such an earthiness to her performance that it hardly feels like watching a performance at all. She's acting, of course — Irma Vep doesn't add that layer to its pile — but she inhabits Mira with relaxed effortlessness, whether she's projecting the cool, calm and collected movie-star persona, showing the character's vulnerabilities, or diving into the allure that the series-within-a-series version of Irma Vep holds. Macaigne, the always-impressive Lacoste and Eidinger, and Balibar and Ross also do their utmost, because this show isn't short on standouts. But that key combination of Assayas, Vikander and all things Irma Vep is what dreams are made of, as is one of 2022's most glorious new TV shows. Check out the trailer for Irma Vep below: Irma Vep streams week by week in Australia via Binge since Tuesday, June 7 — and in New Zealand via Neon from Tuesday, June 14. Images: Carole Bethuel/HBO.
The inner-city pocket of West Melbourne is slated for quite the reawakening, as part of a vision by The City of Melbourne to manage and steer expected population growth over the next decade. The plans have been pulled together and laid out in the council's new Municipal Planning Strategy — a comprehensive blueprint for the city's future that was put before councillors at the Future Melbourne Committee meeting earlier this week. The council outlined six key goals underpinning the overall Municipal Planning Strategy, which spans the next 10-20 years and includes considerations like celebrating First Nations culture and identity, as well as preserving Melbourne's distinctive places, people and culture. [caption id="attachment_717296" align="alignnone" width="1920"] West Melbourne cafe 279.[/caption] The blueprint covers multiple districts across Melbourne, outlining various changes for different parts of the city municipality, depending on their current vibe and existing level of development. While the plan stretches from South Yarra up to Parkville and Flemington Racecourse, West Melbourne and the CBD's north (that northwest corner of the CBD) is one of the areas that has been flagged for significant revamps. The strategy plots West Melbourne's evolution into one of "Melbourne's distinct inner urban neighbourhoods", aka a truly happening little spot. As part of the proposed plan, the top stretch of Spencer Street would be transformed into a lively shopping, commercial and creative precinct. It'd also score a mix of converted warehouses, Victorian shop fronts and heritage corner pubs, as part of an overall bid to encourage the retention of heritage and 'special character' buildings. Elsewhere in the suburb, there are plans for new walking and cycling routes, improved pedestrian access to surrounding areas, and a boost for public transport in an effort to minimise car traffic. There'd also be a stack of new trees and public green space added, including a new linear park along Hawke Street. In a post to Facebook following this week's Future Melbourne Committee meeting, Councillor Rohan Leppert indicated that the Municipal Planning Strategy would now be given a few tweaks during the amendment process. Once they've been made, the blueprint will be put on a public exhibition in the coming months so people can provide feedback and community consultation can begin. For more info about the Municipal Planning Strategy, see the City of Melbourne website. Top Image: Michelle Maria via Wiki Commons
As Melbourne's legendary food scene embarks on a necessary shake-up to suit the post-lockdown age, we're set to see plenty of clever and out-of-the-box events landing on our culinary calendars. That includes Everleigh-After — a multifaceted, art-filled dining experience from new culinary concept SSIXX, which hits Melbourne for seven weeks this summer. This envelope-pushing event will serve up a multi-sensory fusion of visuals, sonic delights, food, drink, art and aromas, in a collaborative effort between famed cocktail haunt The Everleigh, Ides' renowned chef-owner Peter Gunn and SSIXX's founder Philip Bucknell (who has imagined creative experiences for the likes of The Met Costume Gala, MOMA and New York Fashion Week). Taking place across a limited run of sittings from Tuesday, January 12, Everleigh-After features a series of intimate 14-person communal dinners, held within a futuristic cube at a secret inner-city location. Yes, it's set to be an immersive, otherworldly affair, offering a simultaneous feast for all the senses. And, while it comes in at a cool $250 a pop, this one aims to blow all your previous food experiences out of the water. While the visual splendour, bespoke scents and aural offerings unfold, guests will also enjoy a lineup of specialty Everleigh cocktails, carefully matched to a four-course feast. Much is being kept under wraps for now, though you can expect to taste a masterful reworking of Gunn's iconic Black Box dessert somewhere along the way — a much-loved Ides creation made famous after an appearance on Masterchef Australia. It seems that Melbourne is just the beginning, too. The minds behind Everleigh-After have confirmed the concept is a "travelling experience", imagined "in collaboration with culinary experts, artists and designers Australia wide." SSIXX presents Everleigh-After will host a limited run of sittings every Tuesday–Sunday from January 12–February 28, 2021. The location will be revealed to guests closer to the date of their dinner. To learn more and book a spot, head to the website.
No one needs an excuse to get stuck into a big bowl of gnocchi. But as winter steadily creeps closer, cravings for those pillowy potato dumplings tend to strike a whole lot more regularly. Luckily, the team running The Ascot Lot's beloved Gnocchi Festival is well aware of this fact. The event has been a fan favourite since 2019 — when over 10,000 pasta enthusiasts streamed in across the weekend. Now, the much-loved festival is back for another round, with a slew of the city's gnocchi-loving vendors invited to plate up their unique versions of the classic potato dish on Sunday, May 7. Only this time, the event's grown so popular, it's had to move to an expanded space in the carpark of sibling venue Holmes Hall. Head in from noon to devour a range of gnocchi-inspired creations from the likes of Cafe Merenda, Pasta Face, Hole in the Wall and Gnonnas Gnocchi, with vegan and gluten-free options also in the mix. Meanwhile, the outdoor Gnoch-Tail bar will be whipping up Italian-accented cocktails in a nod to gnocchi's roots, alongside a slew of other libations. A program of live tunes will soundtrack your gnocchi-scoffing right through the afternoon. And, as is always the way over at The Ascot Lot, pooches are more than welcome to join in the fun.
In his guise as Benoit Blanc in both 2019's Knives Out and 2022's Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Daniel Craig has pointed the finger at an array of well-known faces. With third film Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery officially on the way, that list is set to grow. The first three folks joining it: Andrew Scott (Ripley), Josh O'Connor (Challengers) and Cailee Spaeny (Civil War). If you weren't already excited about Blanc's next case, which is set to arrive on Netflix in 2025, then you should be now. The news that Wake Up Dead Man is on its way still relatively fresh, with the sleuthing saga's writer and director Rian Johnson announcing it via social media on Saturday, May 25 — and casting details have started arriving mere days later. [caption id="attachment_868527" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.[/caption] As reported by Variety, there's no word yet as to who Scott, O'Connor and Spaeny are playing opposite No Time to Die's Craig. But joining Wake Up Dead Man's suspect pool comes in a big year for fans of all three Down Under, with Scott's All of Us Strangers, O'Connor's La Chimera and Spaeny's Priscilla all reaching screens this year — plus the aforementioned Ripley, Challengers and Civil War, too. With the third Knives Out flick locking in a date with the small screen next year, the series continues its three-yearly pattern. Who else the filmmaker that also brought audiences Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper, Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi and TV's Poker Face (which has been renewed for a second season) will get Blanc investigating hasn't been revealed, and neither has much else about the movie. "I love everything about whodunnits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is. There's a whole tonal spectrum from Carr to Christie, and getting to explore that range is one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies," Johnson did note. [caption id="attachment_951454" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Challengers, Niko Tavernise © 2024 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.[/caption] Exactly when in 2025 the flick will hit, and also whether it will reach cinemas before arriving on Netflix, also hasn't been announced. But, the streamer is teasing that this will be Blanc's "most dangerous case yet". So far, Johnson has plunged his detective into a familiar scenario twice, but always ensured that the end result was anything but routine. His trusty setup: bring a group of people together in a family home, mode of transport or lavish vacation setting, then watch on when one thing that always occurs in a whodunnit happens. That'd be a murder, in a formula that Agatha Christie also loved, as book-to-film adaptations Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile and A Haunting in Venice have shown. The author's play The Mousetrap and recent flick See How They Run, which riffs on it, make the same point. And, so does this clearly Christie-inspired franchise. [caption id="attachment_936946" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Priscilla[/caption] The cast across Knives Out and Glass Onion has been impressive. Chris Evans (Pain Hustlers), Ana de Armas (Ghosted), Jamie Lee Curtis (Haunted Mansion), Michael Shannon (The Flash), Toni Collette (Mafia Mamma), Don Johnson (The Collective), Lakeith Stanfield (The Changeling), Christopher Plummer (Departure), Katherine Langford (Savage River) and Jaeden Martell (Mr Harrigan's Phone) all featured the first time around. In the second flick, Edward Norton (Asteroid City), Janelle Monáe (Antebellum), Kathryn Hahn (Tiny Beautiful Things), Leslie Odom Jr (The Exorcist: Believer), Jessica Henwick (The Royal Hotel), Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), Kate Hudson (Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon) and Dave Bautista (Dune: Part Two) all co-starred. If you saw either — or any murder-mystery involving a motley crew of characters brought together in one location when someone turns up dead — then you'll know how this movie series works from there. There's a standout setting, that big group of chalk-and-cheese folks, threats aplenty and just as much suspicion. Check out the title announcement video for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery below: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will release sometime in 2025 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced. Read our reviews of Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Via Variety. Top image: All of Us Strangers, photo by Chris Harris, courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 Searchlight Pictures.
Will Dune movies just keep getting better and better? Here's hoping that's as natural an outcome as spying sand as far as the eye can see across Arrakis. When Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049) followed in David Lynch's footsteps with 2021's Dune, he made a new version of one of the most unfairly maligned sci-fi films ever crafted, and managed what Alejandro Jodorowsky sadly couldn't (see: excellent documentary Jodorowsky's Dune) — and a new science-fiction cinema classic arrived and stunned. Villeneuve's picture, which scored ten Oscar nominations and six wins, only told part of Dune's story. Cue Dune: Part Two to keep the tale going. War has arrived on the franchise's spice-laden planet, and Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet, Bones and All) and the Fremen are ready to fight. The former doesn't just want to face off against the folks who destroyed his family, but for the sandy celestial body, with Zendaya's (Euphoria) Chani at his side. That's the tale teased in not one but two trailers for the Dune sequel, with the second just dropping and filled with swirling tension. "This world is beyond cruelty," says Paul in the latest sneak peek, surveying the grim status quo. But he has a plan: "he who can destroy a thing has the real control of it." The first film had Paul head to Arrakis because his dad Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac, Moon Knight) had just been given stewardship of the planet and its abundance of 'the spice' — aka the most valuable substance in the universe — and then get caught up in a bitter battle with malicious forces over the substance. It also saw Paul meet the population of people known as the Fremen, including Chani, plus Javier Bardem's (Lyle, Lyle Crocodile) Stilgar, which is who he and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson, Silo) are with in Dune: Part Two. Expansive desert landscape, golden and orange hues (again, Villeneuve helmed Blade Runner 2049), sandworms, the director's reliable eye for a spectacle and Hans Zimmer's (The Son) latest likely Oscar-winning score: they've all shown up in the new film's two glimpses so far. So have some of the franchise's new players, with Austin Butler ditching his Elvis locks as Feyd Rautha Harkonnen, the nephew of Stellan Skarsgard's (Andor) Baron Harkonnen. Christopher Walken (Severance) and Florence Pugh (The Wonder) also join the saga as Emperor Shaddam IV and his daughter Princess Irulen. From the first film, Josh Brolin (Outer Range), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Beau Is Afraid) and Charlotte Rampling (Benedetta) return, while Léa Seydoux (Crimes of the Future) also joins the cast. Off-screen, Villeneuve has brought back not just Zimmer, but Oscar-winning Australian director of photography Greig Fraser (The Batman), Oscar-winning production designer Patrice Vermett (Vice), Oscar-winning editor Joe Walker (The Unforgivable), Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert (First Man) and Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West (Song to Song). Check out the latest Dune: Part Two trailer below: Dune: Part Two will release in cinemas Down Under on November 2, 2023.
The shock of unkempt hair, the Irish brogue, the misanthropic attitude: there's no mistaking Dylan Moran for anyone else. It was true in beloved British sitcom Black Books, when his on-screen alter ego abhorred mornings, ate coasters and claimed that his oven could cook anything (even belts). And it's definitely true of the comedian's acerbically hilarious live shows. Moran is no stranger to Australia, and last headed our way in 2019. Whether you've guffawed at his bleak wit live or you've always wanted to, you'll be able to see him on Saturday, May 8, too — thanks to a streamed version of his Brisbane show from his last visit. Expect the kind of deadpan gags, wine-soaked insights and blisteringly sharp one-liners that've kept him in the spotlight since 1996, when he became the youngest-ever winner of the Edinburgh Fringe's Perrier Award. Dr Cosmos once again features Moran's grumpily lyrical musings on love, politics, misery and the everyday absurdities of life, which you can watch for $18 from your couch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMfRpM5PJRw
The Red Hummingbird's deck is an oldie but a goodie. Perfect for an after-work drink — without the obligatory staircase hike — simply pull up a swinging basket chair and have a cocktail.
As the colder months approach and more days inside are on the horizon, you might be thinking it's time to give your pad a little refresh. Creating a beautiful living space will help you cherish more time spent at home — but actually creating that personal space can feel like a daunting task. Sure, your Pinterest board is a work of art and you binge celebrity house tour videos on YouTube. But, when it comes to recreating that stylish feel in a small space or a rental (without dropping $400 on a cashmere pillow), it's hard to know where to begin. Luckily, we have interior designer Steve Cordony on our side. In partnership with Samsung, Steve has given us some top tips to help you create the home of your dreams no matter how tight the budget or space you're working with is. START WITH A MOOD BOARD Good news: your endless scrolling on Pinterest, TikTok and Instagram isn't all in vain. In fact, according to Cordony, this is step one for any design project. "My approach is always the same. No matter if I am styling a tablescape or a whole house, I always mood-board reference images and visuals that create an overall concept, and subsequently blueprint, for the project," he says. Collect your favourite design images to form your own aesthetic. Whether you are drawn to a colourful, eclectic style or you're more into neutrals and minimalism, creating a mood board will help you establish the look you are going for. DEVELOP YOUR OWN 'STYLE DNA' While creating a mood board is an excellent way of getting inspired, it's important to not get too swept away with what's in vogue. "Just like your fashion choices, you should never try to be 'on-trend' rather than create your own unique style for your home," Cordony explains. Sure, trends are fun. But if you're on a budget, it won't be worth investing in something that'll soon feel outdated. Instead, find styles that resonate with you personally and fit in with your lifestyle. Once you develop your own sense of style, you'll know how to adapt to changing design trends and create a space that is both contemporary and timeless. As Cordony puts it: "Because I have a strong sense of my style DNA, I can allow these changes to develop and shift my work, but never alter it." FUSE THE PRACTICAL AND AESTHETIC The most important element of design is ensuring your space coincides with your lifestyle. This means choosing a couch that elevates your space while being comfortable, not opting for fabrics that look nice but are impossible to clean, and having a functional space that suits your Netflix ritual. Let's face it, the TV is a pretty central component of any home but can be tricky to style. "So many spaces I visit always try to hide it which often makes it look out of place," Cordony says. With the option to have the legs on or off, Samsung's The Serif TV will easily adapt to your personal style. "The reality is television is part of most people's everyday lives. And with incredible technology and design options at our fingertips, styling an interior with the TV in mind, and thinking of it as a piece of art or sculpture, allows you to fuse practicality and aesthetics, which is the hallmark of a successful interior," Cordony explains. PLAY WITH LIGHT For those working with a less-than-ideal smaller space, a few easy changes can brighten things up. Cordony's tip? "Keep it light! A white paint like Porters Popcorn or Dulux Vivid White instantly creates a crisp background to build your space and bounces light from wall to wall," he says. And, don't forget the magic of the mirror. "Mirrors are my go-to tip for making spaces feel larger than they are, as well as choosing bigger furniture rather than petite pieces to mirror the smaller scale space". SMALL DETAILS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE According to Cordony, simple changes can make a world of a difference when refreshing your space. "My biggest budget styling tip is hardware — think new door and joinery hardware. They will instantly lift any space and create a bold statement with a metallic accent," he says. Cordony is also a believer in the basic rule of thirds to create layers and contrast in a space. Understanding placement can make a big difference to your space without breaking the bank. "If you have amazing pieces but they're all spread out with no thought or consistency, then your eye has too many places to travel and often items get overlooked," he tells us. Instead, he suggests making smaller scenes with contrasting objects. "Creating vignettes in the space and thinking about balance and layering is key to a well-curated interior". If you're looking to add a touch of designer aesthetic to your living space, check out the products Steve Cordony used in our recent styling videos. To find out more about Samsung's The Serif, created in collaboration with celebrated industrial designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, visit the Samsung website. Images: Jarrad Shaw
In 2017, the picturesque town of Healesville welcomed this charming independent bookshop, built on a fierce love of great words. An expansion in early 2021 saw Verso Books double in size, cementing its status as a complete bookworm's haven — the kind of warm, inviting space in which you'll happily lose an afternoon, browsing gems from top local and international authors. Here, explore an expert curation of both fiction and non-fiction titles covering everything from craft to crime, and from parenting to poetry. The staff are friendly, plus they're always handy with the wise book advice; whether you're after the perfect present, or hunting a new tome to grace your own bedside table. The store also boasts a great collection of magazines, stationary, puzzles, gifts and games — consider it a one-stop shop for top finds, literary or otherwise. Verso Books in Healesville may be a little ways out of the city, but it is still one of Melbourne's best bookshops, worth taking the leisurely drive to.
In the world of astronomy, 2018 is ending as it began. After kicking into gear with an extremely rare supermoon, the year is coming to a close with another impressive sky show: the comet 46P/Wirtanen. Given the festive time of year and the hurtling celestial object's green colour, 46P/Wirtanen has been dubbed the 'Christmas comet'. It's expected to be the brightest comet of 2018 and, while it's already a presence in the night sky, it'll be at its most vivid and glowing between December 14 and December 18. If you want to spy it at its absolute brightest — and on its closest approach to earth — NASA recommends looking up on Sunday, December 16 (in the evening down under, continuing through until the morning of Monday, December 17). If you're wondering how close it'll be, 46P/Wirtanen will be 11.7 million kilometres away, which equates to 30 times the distance to the moon. As for how vibrant it'll be, the comet should range between 3 and 7.5 on the naked-eye magnitude. At the upper end, that's dimmer than the brightest stars but still visible without binoculars or a telescope. At the lower end, you'll need one of the aforementioned pieces of equipment to help you see it. However you're choosing to take a gander, you'll be peering at a comet that was first discovered in 1948 by American astronomer Carl A. Wirtanen. It measures approximately 1.2 kilometres in diameter, and completes its orbit every 5.4 years, but it's not expected to venture this close to earth again for another 20 years. For the best view, the ABC advises looking north-east, and using either binoculars or a DSLR camera. You might also want help from an online chart to get you looking in the right spot, with The Comet Wirtanen Observing Campaign offering a guide. Heading as far away from city lights is also recommended, as it always is when the sky is putting on a spectacle. If you're thinking of camping out, you might want to consider making a weekend of it. 46P/Wirtanen's brightest spell comes two days after the impressive Geminids meteor shower, which is expected to be visible from late evening on Friday, December 14 through to the early morning on Saturday, December 15. The Virtual Telescope Project will also be streaming live images of 46P/Wirtanen between December 12 and 17. 46P/Wirtanen will be at its brightest during the night of on Sunday, December 16. Image: Stephen Rahn.
Spending your days in classrooms might be behind you, but binge-watching your way through school-set hit Australian TV shows is something that you never grow out of. When Heartbreak High first arrived on television in the 90s, it became one of the nation's classic teen series. When it returned in 2022 via Netflix, the new Heartbreak High revival also had everyone turning up. Your next date with its dramas: April 2024. 2020s-era Heartbreak High was promptly renewed the show for season two when its first season proved a huge smash. In 2023, Netflix advised that school would be in session again sometime this year. Now, the streaming platform has announced that term starts again on Thursday, April 11, 2024 for the International Emmy-, AACTA- and Logie-winning show. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix Australia & NZ (@netflixanz) Hartley High will be reopening its gates, "rack off" will be the strongest insult there is again and more than just nostalgia for the OG 1994–99 series will be on the agenda. And, as announced last year, there'll be new faces among the students. Sam Rechner (The Fabelmans) will play country boy and classic cinema fan Rowan Callaghan, and he's destined for a love triangle. Also, Kartanya Maynard (Deadloch) joins the Hartley crew as Zoe Clarke, who has big thoughts on celibacy — she's in favour — as part of a gang of Puriteens. Plus, in new news, Bump's Angus Sampson is joining the show as Head of PE Timothy Voss. On the returning crew, character-wise: Amerie (Ayesha Madon, The Moth Effect), Harper (Asher Yasbincek, How to Please a Woman), Darren (screen first-timer James Majoos), Quinni (Chloe Hayden, Jeremy the Dud), Dusty (Josh Heuston, Thor: Love and Thunder), Ca$h (Will McDonald, Home and Away), Malakai (Thomas Weatherall, Troppo), Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish, Mr Inbetween), Ant (debutant Brodie Townsend), Sasha (Gemma Chua-Tran, Mustangs FC) and Missy (fellow newcomer Sherry-Lee Watson). [caption id="attachment_938095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Heartbreak High S2. (L to R) Gemma Chua-Tran as Sasha, Ayesha Madon as Amerie, Sherry-Lee Watson as Missy, James Majoos as Darren, Chloe Hayden as Quinni in Heartbreak High S2. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024[/caption] Season one started with Amerie becoming a pariah at Hartley after a big revelation — an "incest map" plotting out who's hooked up with who throughout the school — and also struggling with a sudden rift in her friendship with bestie Harper. Attempting to repair her reputation, she called on help from her new pals Quinni and Darren, all while working through her crush on Dusty and developing feelings for Malakai. And that's just the start of the Heartbreak High revival's season one story. In season two, everyone will back for a second term after doing some growing up over the holidays, and Hartley is now the lowest-ranking school in the district. Netflix is teasing that threesomes, chlamydia and burning cars will be distant memory for the gang — but there'll still be teen chaos, of course, or this wouldn't be Heartbreak High. [caption id="attachment_869123" align="alignnone" width="1920"] HEARTBREAK HIGH[/caption] It was back in 2020 that Netflix initially announced that it was bringing the series back — and yes, it sure is a 2020s-era take on the Aussie classic, including everything from friendship fights, yelling about vaginas from the top of a building and throwing dildos at walls through to consent, crime, drugs and police brutality. The original Heartbreak High was a massive deal, and was filled with now-familiar faces, including Alex Dimitriades, a pre-Home and Away Ada Nicodemou, and Avengers: Endgame and Mystery Road's Callan Mulvey as Drazic. It painted a multicultural picture of Australia that was unlike anything else on TV at the time. And, for its six-year run across two Aussie networks, the Sydney-shot show was must-see television — not bad for a series that started as a spinoff to the Claudia Karvan and Alex Dimitriades-starring 1993 movie The Heartbreak Kid, too. Check out the trailer for the Heartbreak High revival's first season below: Heartbreak High season two will arrive on Thursday, April 11, 2024. The show's first season is available to stream now via Netflix. Read our full review.
The cold weather won't stop many from scoring a scoop of ice cream, but sometimes, a warmer bite just feels right. With this in mind, it's a good thing Gelato Messina is back with a new edition of its cult-favourite cookie pie. Made in collaboration with Tony's Chocolonely, this is the ideal chance to discover the brand's mission to end exploitation in the cocoa industry. Designed to be baked fresh at home, this feel-good cookie pie offers the ultimate treat for when you're rugged up on the couch. Plus, this inventive dessert hits all the marks of a winter treat: golden on the outside, gooey on the inside, and loaded with Tony's beloved milk and dark chocolate pieces. Crafted in-house by Messina's pastry team, expect each pie to resonate with the same thought and care as the brand's top-notch gelato. Speaking of, this molten delight is best served with a scoop of your go-to Messina flavour on top, helping to create your dream combination. Available from all Messina stores and for delivery from Monday, July 7, these limited-edition treats are served first-come, first-served. Just don't expect them to last long. Priced at $25 each, you're welcome to bundle with 500ml, 1L or 1.5L tubs of Messina gelato, so you can scoop at home until your heart and tastebuds are content. If you're keen to brave the cold weather, single-serve cookie pies will be served in all Messina stores (except Circular Quay and The Star) from Monday, July 14. Available from 5pm every Monday–Thursday throughout winter, these smaller portions are priced at $12, with your choice of gelato scoop making your after-dark adventure more than worth it. Plus, the team is getting in the mood by launching Brownie Points, a limited-edition flavour created to pair with your pie. Think salted milk chocolate gelato, lashings of caramel and Tony's double-choc brownie rolled into a toothsome scoop. It's available from all Messina stores from Saturday, July 12–Saturday, July 19, or until sold out. Tony's Chocolonely and Gelato Messina's cookie pie is available from all locations and for online delivery from Monday, July 7. Head to the website for more information.
If peering at an artist's work is the same as peering into their soul, then staring at a self-portrait is like peeking through a wide-open window. Perhaps Rembrandt believed this? The 17th-century artist certainly loved putting his likeness on paper, whether he was picking up a brush or pencil, or getting etching. Perhaps you can ponder this very notion at Rembrandt — True to Life, which is bringing the Dutch Golden Age master's works to Melbourne's NGV International to brighten up Australia's winter. From Friday, June 2–Sunday, September 10, the St Kilda Road gallery will be home to a wide-ranging exploration of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn's work — so expansive, in fact, that it's the most-comprehensive Rembrandt exhibition to display Down Under in 25 years. On loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, 1659's Self-Portrait is one of the star attractions, and one of around 80 images of himself he's thought to have made. Created when the artist was 53 (and three years after he'd declared bankruptcy), it sits alongside ten etched self-portraits. Combined, they let True to Life attendees chart how he saw himself, and conveyed his soul to the world, over three decades. Etchings comprise a significant portion of the NGV's ode to Rembrandt, with more than 100 from its own collection at the heart of the impressive retrospective. In addition to helping to detail his self-perception, they showcase his innovations as a printmaker and also illustrate how widely and deeply he splashed around his artistic talents. If you're heading to a Rembrandt exhibition, you want to see his paintings, of course, an instinct that the showcase capitalises upon. Thanks to pieces borrowed from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Louvre in Paris, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the Teylers Museum in Haarlem as well, the artist's prints are placed in context with his paintings. You'll see how they're connected no matter the subject or theme as True to Life steps through not just his portraits, but also his landscapes, scenes of daily life, depictions of religious motifs and nudes. Among his scenery-focused works, his largest landscape etching The three trees, which dates back to 1643, is a drawcard. From his pieces that hone in on the human form — never idealising them — Diana at the bath, an etching from 1631, is another highlight. Taking its cues from passages from the Gospel of St Matthew, 1648's well-known piece The Hundred Guilder Print is also on display as part of the exhibition's survey of Rembrandt's fascination with faith. His two largest prints similarly fall into the same category: The three crosses from 1653 and Christ presented to the people from 1655. Because the artist transformed them both by making continuous adjustments, True to Life shows them in two different states — early and late side by side. "The NGV is home to the most important collection of works by Rembrandt in the southern hemisphere and this NGV-exclusive exhibition celebrates one of our major strengths: our outstanding print collection. Rembrandt was a master printmaker and his experimentation in the medium reveals his insatiable curiosity and sheer versatility as an artist," said Tony Ellwood AM, the NGV's Director. While taking in all of the above, art lovers will journey through Rembrandt's life from Leiden in the 1620s to his waning years in Amsterdam in the 1660s. On hand to assist: a recreation of his cabinet of curiosities, which featured everything from his own prints and drawings through to musical instruments, weapons, shells and natural objects. Rembrandt's version helped spark his creative impulses, and the NGV has taken its assortment of pieces from its collection, as well as the Melbourne Museum and the State Library of Victoria. Rembrandt — True to Life displays from Friday, June 2–Sunday, September 10 at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne. Head to the gallery's website for further details and tickets. Images: Installation view of Rembrandt: True to Life on display from 2 June-10 September at NGV International, Melbourne. Photos: Tom Ross.
Before anywhere else in Australia, Melbourne became home to a major annual celebration of movies. That was more than seven decades ago, when the Melbourne International Film Festival first kicked off — and the event is still going strong. Back in 1991, the Victorian capital made flick-watching history again, this time in the queer cinema space. Now, Melbourne Queer Film Festival is the nation's oldest such fest, and it too keeps delighting audiences. A documentary about Jackie Shane, a portrait of a Drag Race star, Elliot Page's first leading role as a trans man, the Village People: they're all on the 42-feature, 90-short program when MQFF returns for 2024 from Thursday, November 14–Sunday, November 24 at ACMI, The Capitol, Palace Cinema Como and Cinema Nova. Also a highlight in the event's 34th year: the festival's dedicated hangout space making a comeback. The theme for this year is "formative sound and vision". If you now have a certain David Bowie song stuck in your head, that's understandable — and Darryl W Bullock, who wrote David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music, is the fest's keynote speaker. He'll be chatting at the event's one-day free symposium dedicated to music videos, which will dive into the role that such clips have played in helping members of the LGBTQIA+ community form their identities. Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story is MQFF's opening-night pick, telling its namesake's tale from her 50s Nashville success through to disappearing from the public for four decades. In the middle of the fest, the dialogue-free Gondola, which is about female cable-car conductors expressing their emotions in the sky, gets the centrepiece slot. Then, when it all comes to an end for 2024, the festival will close with Duino, a semi-autobiographical effort about an Argentinian filmmaker working on a movie about his first love. Rex Wheeler, aka Drag Race's Lady Camden, pops up in-between via Lady Like. As for the band that ensured no one can say YMCA without singing, they're featured thanks to a retrospective screening of Can't Stop the Music — and if you want to dress up to attend the screening, that's up to you. With 2024 marking seven years since Page (The Umbrella Academy) last appeared on the big screen Down Under, Close to You brings that absence from local cinemas to an end. The film boasts the actor's first male movie role, as a trans man heading home to his family for the first time since transitioning. Attendees can also look forward to Evan Rachel Wood (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) as a cheerleading coach in Backspot, with Devery Jacobs (Echo) as the squad's newcomer; Strange Creatures, which heads on a road trip to Narrabri with fighting siblings; Baby, about the connection between a São Paolo sex worker and an 18-year-old man just out of juvenile detention; and Hong Kong's All Shall Be Well, the recipient of this year's Berlinale Teddy Award and Frameline Audience Award for Narrative. Or, there's also The Visitor from Bruce La Bruce (Saint-Narcisse), which pays tribute to Pier Paolo Pasolini's Teorema — and docu-musical Reas, where former prisoners play both themselves and their jailers. Glue's former lead singer gets the spotlight in The Life of Sean DeLear, while Linda Perry does the same in Let It Die Here (complete with Brandi Carlile, Christina Aguilera, Dolly Parton and Sara Gilbert as interviewees). And courtesy of Life Is Not a Competition, But I'm Winning, get ready for a cine-essay about gender and bodies in sport. "We're taking over Melbourne with a dazzling lineup of films for the 2024 MQFF program. We've gathered the most-extraordinary new and historical LGBTQIA+ stories from around the globe that shape, form, pay homage to and celebrate queer music culture," said MQFF CEO David Martin Harris, announcing the lineup. "Plus, by popular demand, we're delighted to bring back the MQFF Festival Lounge at ACMI for the entire season. This will be a vibrant space for LGBTQIA+ community connection, featuring fascinating public programs, DJs, karaoke and delicious food in a mirror ball-lit setting. In other words, pure queer joy!" The 2024 Melbourne Queer Film Festival runs from Thursday, November 14–Sunday, November 24 at venues around Melbourne. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the festival website.
Canberra will be filled with all things art, architecture and design between Wednesday, November 2–Sunday, November 20 as Design Canberra makes its grand return with hundreds of events and activations. The festival will present a wide-ranging program across its 19 days, spanning public art, exhibitions, symposiums, workshops, studio tours and a food festival. The symposiums will kick off early with talks centred around public art on Sunday, October 29. From there, there will be a series of discussions on Canberra's role in the worlds of design and art on Friday, November 4, followed by 'Transforming Canberra' on Saturday, November 5, which will explore the future of the city with keynote appearances from Elizabeth Farrelly, author of Killing Sydney, and Canberra Museum and Gallery Senior Curator Virginia Rigney. If you're looking for an immersive hands-on experience at the festival, head to the open studios and workshops. A range of acclaimed Canberra-based artists ranging from glass blowers and cabinetmakers to ceramicists will be opening their personal studios to the public, demonstrating the processes that go into their artistry, and giving the public a sneak peek into what they're currently working on. As for the workshops, there will be both adult- and kid-focused classes, with sessions focusing on the likes of stitch meditation, spoon carving, zine-making and a special multi-day kids workshop based on designing the future of Canberra. A public art trail has popped up around the city. Wander through the City West until Sunday, November 20 and you'll discover an array of free outdoor artworks from six local craftspeople. These artworks range from huge pieces that have overtaken buildings to intimate works hidden among trees. Architecture fans, head out on one of the festival's architecture tours, or some of the most stunning and innovative houses in Canberra with the open homes program. Design Canberra has also come together with The Forage to add a bustling food festival and drink to the festivities. On Saturday, November 5, The Forage Food Festival will be bringing together 20 local vendors including Let's Do Yum Cha, Super Bao, Hungry Brown Cow Burgers, Canberra Distillery and a roving sangria cart from Skeehan Brothers Sangria Cart from 2–7pm in Civic Square. If all of this wasn't enough, there will be a heap more tours, talks, exhibitions and competitions popping up, as well as a festival hub shop selling works from artists involved and a limited-edition grapefruit Designer Gin made by Canberra Distillery. If you're from out of town and you're looking for an excuse to head to the nation's capital, luxury inner-city hotel A by Adina is offering 15-percent off all bookings during the festival. The stunning accommodation is located right among the action and boasts in-room cocktails from Maybe Sammy, two gyms and ARC — one of Canberra's best cafes — in its lobby.
It could potentially be the final film for Studio Ghibli. And by gum, it looks like our hearts will be firmly in our hands. Set for limited release across Australia on May 14 for two weeks only, When Marnie Was There could be the last Ghibli feature film ever; after the Japanese animation legends announced the possibly permanent closure of their film division last year. Spirited Away creator and Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki retired from filmmaking before the 2013 release of The Wind Rises, and fellow Ghibli head Isao Takahata's Academy Award-nominated film The Tale of the Princess Kaguya didn't fare too well at the box office outside Japan. So we've got big hopes for the studio's last wild feature-length ride, directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty). When Marnie Was There following the life of a lonely girl, Anne, whose foster parents decide to send her to the country to stay with distant family. After stumbling across a strangely familar old mansion, she meets Marnie, the mysterious girl who lives there. Ghibli magic ensues. Check out the trailer here: When Marnie Was There is set for limited release across Australia on May 14 for two weeks only, screening in both original Japanese language and English dubbed versions. Check your local cinema listings.
If you've found yourself hankering for an Italian beef sandwich after watching The Bear or been inspired to devour a damn-fine slice cherry pie thanks to Twin Peaks, then you'll know that TV shows and movies can influence your culinary choices. You mightn't have expected Yellowjackets to be on that list, however. When a series follows a group of teenage girls stranded in the wilderness after a plane crash, then forced to get creative — and cannibalistic — to survive, then IRL menu options don't normally jump out. Trust Sydney's NEL to challenge that perception with its latest imaginative 11-course degustation. The Harbour City fine-diner has taken inspiration from pop culture before, including via its popular Disney-inspired feasts and its Moulin Rouge!-themed spread. Among the restaurant's other limited-time degustation menus as well — KFC-inspired dinners, Christmas meals, heroing native Australian ingredients and more — taking cues from Yellowjackets certainly stands out, though. On offer: dishes that dig into the wild and primal reality that the hit show's characters find themselves in. The fact that NEL has dubbed the four-day-only pop-up menu 'Eat Your Heart Out' says plenty. [caption id="attachment_991129" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kailey Schwerman, Paramount+[/caption] "To be approached to create a Yellowjackets-inspired menu just felt like the perfect next venture for NEL Restaurant," said Chef Nelly Robinson about whipping up an inventive feast that aims to plunge diners' senses into Yellowjackets' world — not just via sights and sounds, but also via tastes. "For anyone that knows us, they understand we are about pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and getting to ask the questions of 'how do we make an ear appetising?' or 'how can we get someone to dig into a brain?' was a very exciting quest. The answer is obviously in the flavours, and while it might not be visually 'conventionally appetising', the flavours and aesthetics will most definitely leave you speechless." Across a three-hour experience that'll be on offer between Tuesday, March 4–Friday, March 7, 2025, think: digging for truffles, then tucking into the aptly named Salmon over River Misty (a moss- and salmon-heavy dish) and also seeing how NEL comes up with its own take on the show's darker survivalist scenario. Some dishes will nod to the diet consumed in the series, whether via heart-shaped servings, working in liver or plating up "something a little more ear-y". If you're feeling adventurous enough, you will need to try your luck not only in terms of testing your tastebuds, but to score a seat. Sittings are only available via entering for a chance to win on the NEL website between now and 11.59pm AEDT on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. So, attending is free — but only if your name is selected. If you're not located in Sydney, travelling there is at your own expense, but the Yellowjackets dinner at NEL will be on the house. For those who haven't dived into the series so far or need a refresher, Yellowjackets instantly proved one of the best new shows of 2021 when it debuted courtesy not just due to its killer setup — but it does tell a tale that fascinates from the outset. The thriller hops between the 90s and 25 years later. Across two seasons until now, life and friendship have proven complex for Yellowjackets' core quartet of Shauna (The Tattooist of Auschwitz's Melanie Lynskey as an adult, and also No Return's Sophie Nélisse as a teenager), Natalie (I'm a Virgo's Juliette Lewis, plus Companion's Sophie Thatcher), Taissa (Law & Order's Tawny Cypress, and also Scream VI's Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Misty (Wednesday's Christina Ricci, and also Atlas' Samantha Hanratty). The trailers for season three also put it this way: "once upon a time, a bunch of teenage girls got stranded in the wilderness ... and they went completely nuts." The full setup: back in 1996, en route to a big match in Seattle on a private aircraft, Shauna, Natalie, Taissa, Misty and the rest of their teammates entered Lost territory. The accident saw everyone who walked away stuck in the forest — and those who then made it through that ordeal stuck out there for 19 months, living their worst Alive-meets-Lord of the Flies lives. Season three starts streaming in Australia via Paramount+ on Friday, February 14, 2025. Check out the trailer below: NEL's Eat Your Heart Out degustation will be available from Tuesday, March 4–Friday, March 7, 2025 at 75 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney. For more information or to go in the running for a seat — which is only available to competition winners, with entries open till 11.59pm AEDT on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 — head to the NEL website. Yellowjackets season three starts streaming in Australia via Paramount+ on Friday, February 14, 2025.
We can't hate on your everyday supermarket hot cross bun, but if you're looking for something a little fancy this Easter, Morning Market has got a timely surprise. For the first time, the team behind Andrew McConnell's European-style pantry and provisions outfit are making their own spiced creation for your festive pleasure. With an elevated take on the classic recipe, these hot cross buns are produced with anise-flavoured pastis, brandy, cardamon and allspice, while top-quality dried prunes and apricots are added to the mix. With cool autumn mornings primed for this limited-time treat, starting your day with a sweet, fragrant bite puts you in good stead for what lies ahead. So, when can you get them? Morning Market's hot cross buns are available for pre-order and purchase from Friday, February 28 to Saturday, April 19, ensuring you have more than enough time to find out what makes them special. Priced at $4.50 each or $26 for a pack of six, these buns are the ideal way to complement your Easter festivities. With stores in Fitzroy and Prahran, Morning Market is no stranger to special-edition creations and hard-to-find gourmet goods. With both outposts stocked with the same tight curation of culinary goodies, it's become a go-to spot for browsing everything from gold-standard Comté cheese to bluefin tuna roe and best-selling sourdough from cult-followed Baker Bleu. Meanwhile, McConnell (Cumulus Inc, Builders Arms Hotel, Cutler & Co) has also been hard at work organising a refined selection of food-related gifts and homewares. Whether your foodie friend has a birthday coming up or you're keen to add some tasteful items to your collection, sophisticated cookbooks, vases, pepper mills and candles make shopping hassle-free. If you decide to pop in, both Fitzroy and Prahran have street-side seating where you can rest after your shop. Order up a coffee with a breakfast bap, the sandwich special of the week or – if you get down during this Easter celebration – a freshly baked hot cross bun that will open your mind to the possibilities of the enduring autumn tradition. [caption id="attachment_809358" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jo McGann[/caption] Morning Market is found at 59 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, and 579 High Street, Prahran. Head to the website for more information. Images: Parker Blain.
UPDATE, December 4, 2020: The Grudge is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. In its final frames, the latest version of The Grudge peers menacingly at an ordinary small-town house. Absolutely nothing else happens in this long, lingering shot, other than the film's end credits rolling over the image — but the static picture serves up the movie's biggest scare. That's not a compliment. Even though it ties into an earlier plot point, it's not a spoiler, either. Because everyone knows how franchises work in this time of undying sagas, constant reboots and remakes, and sprawling cinematic universes, you can easily guess why this visual is so unnerving. It's a warning that, even after sitting through this bland, by-the-numbers instalment, The Grudge's curse hasn't ended yet. As long as this flick makes enough money or Hollywood wants to merely keep the series alive, it'll keep hexing audiences in future movies. As one of J-horror's huge international hits, alongside Ringu, the thought of more movies in this franchise shouldn't instantly make horror fans cringe. But two decades after the first Japanese Ju-On hit screens — and after seven sequels, one Ring crossover and four average-at-best, awful-at-worst American versions all called The Grudge — this series has very little life left in it, based on its latest film at least. Other big horror titles have survived excruciating chapters and returned with a splash, such as Halloween, but it's hard to see why anyone will want to keep watching US-made The Grudge flicks after this painfully dull and derivative effort. Of course, the fact that some curses just won't die, especially when long-haired Japanese spirits are involved, is this supernatural saga's whole premise. You might be familiar with the Sarah Michelle Gellar-starring 2004 version of The Grudge, the first Hollywood iteration — even though it wasn't particularly good. In fact, it was so unmemorable that you might not have bothered with its sequel in 2006, or with the direct-to-video third American movie in 2009. Luckily, 2020's take on The Grudge doesn't need you to recall much. While this new follow-on starts with American nurse Fiona Landers (Tara Westwood) in Tokyo, standing outside the abode that sparked all the drama in the 2004 film, it quickly shifts the action to Cross River, Pennsylvania two years later. When detectives Muldoon (Andrea Riseborough) and Goodman (Demián Bichir) start investigating a strange corpse with links to an old case in an eerie house, it's clear what's happening: moving back to the town, Landers brought the franchise's enraged ghost, Kayako Saeki (Junko Bailey), with her — and so the spirit's reign of vengeance lives on. While the Ju-On and The Grudge flicks have always traded in creepily effective imagery — Kayako, like Ringu's Sadako, has become a genre icon for a reason — a decent horror movie needs more than just a few scary visuals doled out with bumps and jumps in mind. Writer/director Nicolas Pesce knows that, as seen in his thrillingly unsettling 2016 debut The Eyes of My Mother. And yet, his version of The Grudge offers up little more than repetitive glimpses of gory sights wrapped up in multiple intersecting but still repetitive storylines. In addition to following Muldoon, who is also a grieving widow with a primary school-aged son (John J. Hansen), and a newcomer to town, too, the film flashes back to various different tales, all connected to Landers' Cross River home. John Cho and GLOW's Betty Gilpin play realtors selling the property, and expecting their first baby. Jacki Weaver pops up as an assisted-suicide consultant, enlisted to help an elderly resident (Frankie Faison) with his terminally ill wife (horror stalwart and Insidious franchise standout Lin Shaye). Thanks to the case that brought the whole mess to the US, Goodman's old partner (William Sadler) also has links to the address. Sadly, no matter how many characters The Grudge throws in its malicious spirit's path, it's always apparent how each segment will turn out. And, no matter how hard this impressive roster of actors tries to breathe life and depth into their slim, vignette-style stories — Riseborough, Bichir and Cho, particularly — the whole thing is about as frightening as watching someone manically shouting the movie's most obvious plot points. Yes, that actually happens. Pesce does bring an inescapable sense of unease to the film — a bleakness that not only infects his visibly wearied characters' backstories, or their otherworldly encounters, but the feature's grey-tinted vision of life in general. Indeed, with cinematographer Zack Galler (The Act) and production designer Jean-Andre Carriere (J.T. Leroy), he ensures that feeling of grim, unshakeable dread is present in every frame, as well as in the house that sits at centre of all the chaos. When a movie sticks to the most boilerplate of templates and well-worn of tropes otherwise, though, a disquieting look and mood doesn't go very far. That's The Grudge circa 2020's curse, and one this creatively fading franchise will undoubtedly dredge up again whether audiences like it or not. Talks of a sequel are already bubbling, because of course they are, as is chatter about an American crossover with The Ring series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3cjWaZf_LE
Buckle up, beach goers, because it's that time again — the sand delivery has arrived and Section 8 is transforming into tropical beach paradise. The outdoor CBD bar's annual Urban Oasis Beach Party series is back for four night this January, and the lineup is killer. Along with a few tonnes of sand, each night will be a unique selection of beats and beers, curated by a rotating cast of party posses who are bringing all their own DJs with them. Wax'o Paradiso take the helm on the Thursday night, kicking the weekend off with a strictly vinyl event (records, that is — dress code remains normal). On Friday, ONE PUF drop the grime with their own brand of UK garage, before the party comes to a head on Saturday, when Cumbia Massive are taking over, throwing a huge tropical bash that brings the beach that little bit closer. After all that, the crew at Good Manners will be spinning discs through Sunday night so you can not think about work for at least an extra few hours. Images: Duncographic.
The Night Noodle Markets are nearly upon us and Gelato Messina is preparing to wow Melburnians once again with its newest creations. Perhaps it was its recent Sydney collaboration with Hoy Pinoy that did it, because this year's menu is full on Filipino. Messina's Filipino Jeepney food truck dishes will be available exclusively at the Melbourne markets from November 8–25. Expect the Southeast Asian country's most popular desserts to get the good ol' Messina treatment, starting with the 'Allo 'Allo! — a take on the shaved-iced hallo hallo, which combines leche flan with caramel-flavoured shaved ice, syrup and sauce, all topped with toasted milk crumb and dulce de leche gelato. The truck is is also bringing back a 2016 favourite under the guise of a different name — Thrilla from Manila is a take on turron, which in this case is filo-pastry wrapped and deep-fried brown sugar and banana gelato, mixed with bits of banana bread and topped with custard and chocolate peanut butter crumb. If you're more into fruity desserts, The Jolli P (a nod to fast-food chain Jollibee) is a mango and peach jelly-filled concoction with whipped cream and graham cracker crumb toppings. Handheld dessert lovers are covered too with the Brazo de Messina, an ice cream sandwich of pandan gelato, baked meringue and condensed milk custard, all layered with a graham cracker crust. The Night Noodle Markets run from November 8–25 at Birrarung Marr.
The most popular piece of video art ever created is coming to Melbourne, and making time to see it is recommended. Of course, when you're staring at The Clock, all you'll have is time. You won't be able to avoid it. First premiering in 2010 at London's White Cube Gallery, Christian Marclay's mammoth installation is comprised of images of clocks and watches, plus other mentions of and references to the seconds, minutes and hours passing. In total, more than 12,000 clips are featured, cobbled together from an enormous range of films and television shows. The piece is both a meditation on time, humanity's fascination with it and its relationship to our mortality, and an epic trip through eight decades of cinema history. With The Clock's temporal collage unravelling in real time, that means one thing — yes, every second of the day and night is represented. The full version runs for an entire 24 hours, operating as the most intriguing timepiece you're ever likely to come across. As a result, when Marclay's masterpiece comes to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) between Wednesday, January 23 and Sunday, March 10, 2019, it will screen in two formats. You can drop by daily during ACMI's opening hours to see time pass, or you can settle in for the long haul once a week across the seven weeks. Yes, from 10am each Thursday between January 24–March 7, The Clock will screen its whole 24-hour run, which you can get cosy and watch. Taking place in ACMI's Gallery 1, entry is free, with The Clock marking both a return and a finale for the Federation Square spot. Back in 2008, the first solo exhibition held in the gallery was all about Marclay — and this will mark its last before ACMI closes for its huge revamp. Images: Christian Marclay, The Clock, 2010. Photos: Ben Westoby, courtesy of the White Cube, London.
Let's call it the sitcom effect: when you watch enough episodes of a TV comedy and suddenly get inspiration to change your life. Maybe you binged Friends and started hanging out in coffee shops more often. Perhaps you saw Parks and Recreation and became obsessed with breakfast foods, working for the parks department, whisky and tiny horses. Or, Schitt's Creek might've had you wanting to open your own motel or apothecary, or star in a horror movie about attacking crows (or just saying "eww" a lot). Whichever fits, we've all been there. Taking a few cues from upcoming sitcom Killing It mightn't be the best idea, though — unless you want to start hunting snakes. That's exactly what the series is about, because TV comedies really can be about anything. And if you're wondering why it should pique your interest beyond its concept, we're sure its off- and on-screen talent will do just that. The last time that Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici made television together, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was the end result — with Goor one of its co-creators and Del Tredici an executive producer. If that's not enticing enough, their new reptile-focused show also stars The Office's Craig Robinson (another B99 alum, too), as well as Aussie comedian Claudia O'Doherty (Love, Sarah's Channel, Our Flag Means Death). Robinson keeps his first name on-screen here, playing a man with a dream — chasing the American dream, in fact — but very little luck. Then he gets in a rideshare driven by O'Doherty's Jillian, and is quite shocked when she stops mid-trip to casually swing a hammer at a python, as you do. It's a lucrative business, she informs him in her Aussie accent, and he's soon as intrigued as you likely will be while watching the series' first trailer. Killing It isn't just about snake hunting, though. Like most shows and movies that ponder the American dream, it's also about class and capitalism. And yes, it's just the kind of series that was always likely to land in this post-Tiger King world — because the combination of critters, cash and entrepreneurship is rife with possibilities, and also has plenty to say about the US today. Stan subscribers will be able to watch the results from Friday, April 15, which is when Killing It starts streaming — arriving at the same time locally as it does in the US. Also, whatever premise it had, any series that teamed up Robinson and O'Doherty was always going to be a must-see — slaying snakes or not. Check out the trailer for Killing It below: Killing It will start streaming in Australia via Stan on Friday, April 15. Images: Skip Bolen/Peacock.
On Sunday, January 20, Sydney staged a huge march through the city streets, with thousands waving witty (and moving) signs to protest violence against women around the globe. Australia was just one of 30 countries taking part in the third annual #WomensWave march — protests were also held in in France, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and across the USA. According to Destroy the Joint, an Australian group that researches and records the number of women killed by violence, 69 women died due to violence in Australia in 2018. This year's march was, unfortunately, timely, following the murder of exchange student Aiia Maasarwe in Melbourne just last week, and Maasarwe was the focus of many of the event's speeches and signs. Speakers at the event included Yumi Stynes, host of SBS documentary Is Australia Sexist? and ABC Radio podcast Ladies, We Need to Talk; Bri Lee, author of Eggshell Skull; Bhenji Ra, indigenous queer artist and activist; Jane Brock of Immigrant Women's Speakout and 1 Billion Rising; and Aunty Norma, a Wiradjuri woman and activist. It's estimated 3000 Sydneysiders marched from Hyde Park to Belmore Park, calling on the Australian government to address gender-based violence and to continue working towards equality for women. Words by Jasmine Crittenden.
If your end-of-summer plans usually involve hitting up St Jerome's Laneway Festival for a day of tunes, rejoice: the beloved annual event is here with a new round of dates for 2024. Actually, it wants you to mark your calendar not once but twice. Exactly when and where it'll take place next year has been revealed, and so has when the lineup will drop. If you're all about who'll be playing, you will still need to wait until Tuesday, September 5 to get the details. So, for now, just know that Laneway has locked in returns in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland, all in February. There's a bit of stability to next year's list of venues, after 2023 took Laneway to a heap of new spots. The festival started by Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio in the mid-00s will kick off at Brisbane Showgrounds on Saturday, February 3, then head to Sydney Showground on Sunday, February 4 — so, exactly where it took place this year. Still in Australia, Laneway also has a Friday, February 9 date with Bonython Park in Adelaide on the agenda, then a Saturday, February 10 run at The Park, Flemington in Melbourne and a Sunday, February 11 wrap-up show in Wellington Square in Perth. Again, these are all the same locations that 2023's fests hit up. Over in New Zealand, the event will take over Western Springs in Auckland on Tuesday, February 6. That date means that it's moving to Waitangi Day. And 2024's venue comes after 2023's Auckland Laneway stop was cancelled due to due to the Auckland floods. As for the lineup, start guessing. In 2023, HAIM, Joji and Phoebe Bridgers headlined, in what marked a comeback for Laneway for the first time since the pandemic began. Before that, in 2020, the roster of talent was headed up by the likes of The 1975, Charli XCX and Earl Sweatshirt, as well as a host of local favourites like Ruel, DMA's and Ocean Alley. LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2024 DATES: Saturday, February 3 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane / Turrbal Targun Sunday, February 4 — Sydney Showground, Sydney / Burramattagal and Wangal Land Tuesday, February 6 — Western Springs, Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau Friday, February 9 — Bonython Park, Adelaide / Kaurna Yerta Saturday, February 10 — The Park, Flemington, Melbourne / Wurundjeri Biik Sunday, February 11 — Wellington Square, Perth / Whadjuk Boodjar St Jerome's Laneway Festival will tour Australia and New Zealand in February 2024. Head to the festival's website for further details, and to register for ticket pre sales (which kick off at 11am local time on Tuesday, September 12) — and check back here for next year's lineup when it drops on Tuesday, September 5. Images: Daniel Boud / Maclay Heriot / Cedric Tang.
Who'll win orb-topped trophies? Who'll wear what? Who'll make the best, funniest and most rambling speeches? Whenever January hits and the Golden Globes approach for another year, they're the standard questions. Here's another: where can Australians watch the red carpet action and the ceremony? In 2023, the answer to that last query is streaming — and, to be specific, Stan. The Aussie platform has nabbed the exclusive broadcasting rights to this year's Golden Globes, covering both the pre-show and the awards themselves. Both will be streamed live on Wednesday, January 11, starting at 11am AEDT / 10am AEST for the arrivals and 12pm AEDT / 11am AEST for the gongs themselves. [caption id="attachment_884053" align="alignnone" width="1920"] CleftClips via Flickr[/caption] This'll mark the first time that Stan has aired the Golden Globes, which be beamed into your streaming queue from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. On hosting duties: comedian Jerrod Carmichael. Nominated: a hefty list of the past year's best movies and TV shows, because these awards cover both. Among the big-screen contenders sits everything from Everything Everywhere All At Once and The Banshees of Inisherin to Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and Elvis. On the small screen, The White Lotus, Severance, Only Murders in the Building, Abbott Elementary, Wednesday and more are vying for accolades. Australians have also earned a hefty showing among the nominees, including Baz Luhrmann's Best Director nom for Elvis, and Cate Blanchett, Margot Robbie, Hugh Jackman and Elizabeth Debicki all picking up acting nominations (for Tár, Bablyon, The Son and The Crown, respectively). If you're wondering who'll be presenting awards rather than trying to win them, expect to see Ana de Armas (The Gray Man), Billy Porter (Cinderella), Colman Domingo (Euphoria), Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween Ends), Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll), Nicole Byer (Nailed It!) and Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) among the folks taking to the stage. Of course, the fact that the 2023 Golden Globes take place on a Wednesday isn't the best for parties — although they will hopefully liven up the middle of your week. The 2023 Golden Globes will be announced on Wednesday, January 11 Australian time, streaming via Stan from 11am AEDT / 10am AEST for red carpet arrivals and 12pm AEDT / 11am AEST for the ceremony itself. Wondering who's nominated? Read our rundown of this year's nominees.
