By day, they climb cliffs and learn survival skills. By night, they sit around a campfire singing songs and discussing philosophy. They're the Cash clan — and if their everyday activities haven't convinced you that the six siblings aren't part of an ordinary family, the determination and dedication of their father, Ben (Viggo Mortensen), should do the job. There's a reason that the heartfelt film that tells his tale is called Captain Fantastic, after all. Whether he's running around the forest in America's Pacific Northwest, or making a scene by wearing a bright red suit to a funeral, the eccentric, affectionate Ben always seems larger than life, and much like a superhero to his kids. But, when tragedy strikes, he's forced to take them on the road out into the real world. With his oldest son Bo (George MacKay) also contemplating leaving his untraditional upbringing behind for a new college adventure, and his parents-in-law (Frank Langella and Ann Dowd) unhappy about his off-the-grid parenting methods, conflict soon begins to brew. As the offbeat brood treks across the country in a coming-of-age journey for both adolescent and adult characters, Captain Fantastic traverses territory that feels familiar and fresh all at once. Yes, the path it takes is sometimes a little predictable, but writer-director Matt Ross generates enough genuine emotion to ensure that it also feels authentic .This is a warm, rich and vibrant production, both visually and in tone. Continuing his spate of fantastic performances in under-seen fare like The Two Faces of January and Far From Men, Mortensen is more than partly responsible for the movie's charms. In fact, he's simply magnetic in a progressive, protective parent role that trades heavily on his gruff yet tender charisma. With much of Captain Fantastic dependent upon unpacking the many layers and contradictions of a man who gives his 6-year-old son a copy of The Joy of Sex but hasn't imparted his 16-year-old with enough practical wisdom to know how to talk to girls, the subtle complexity he brings to his protagonist couldn't be more pivotal. Around him, his young and experienced co-stars also shine, particularly MacKay and the veteran Langella. It helps that Ross knows a thing or two about unusual families, with the actor-turned-filmmaker having starred in the polygamous TV drama Big Love for five seasons. While Captain Fantastic directs most of its fondness towards its unlikely hero and his eclectic clan, it also explores the importance of not only difference but balance. That's not an easy feat given how endearing the main characters and their unorthodox lifestyle are, and proves a testament to how multifaceted this smart, sweet picture really is.
Tennis is a game of serves, shots, slices and smashes, and also of approaches, backhands, rallies and volleys. Challengers is a film of each, too, plus a movie about tennis. As it follows a love triangle that charts a path so back and forth that its ins and outs could be carved by a ball being hit around on the court, it's a picture that takes its aesthetic, thematic and emotional approach from the sport that its trio of protagonists are obsessed with as well. Tennis is everything to Tashi Duncan (Zendaya, Dune: Part Two), Art Donaldson (Mike Faist, West Side Story) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor, La Chimera), other than the threesome themselves being everything to each other. It's a stroke of genius to fashion the feature about them around the game they adore, then. Metaphors comparing life with a pastime are easy to coin. Movies that build such a juxtaposition into their fabric are far harder to craft. But it's been true of Luca Guadagnino for decades: he's a craftsman. Jumping from one Dune franchise lead to another, after doing Call Me By Your Name and Bones and All with Timothée Chalamet, Guadagnino proves something else accurate that's been his cinematic baseline: he's infatuated with the cinema of yearning. Among his features so far, only in Bones and All was the hunger for connection literal. The Italian director didn't deliver cannibalism in Call Me By Your Name and doesn't in Challengers, but longing is the strongest flavour in all three, and prominent across the filmmaker's Suspiria, A Bigger Splash and I Am Love also. So, combine the idea of styling a movie around a tennis match — one spans its entire duration, in fact — with a lusty love triangle, romantic cravings and three players at the top of their field, then this is the sublime end product. Challengers is so smartly constructed, so well thought-out down to every meticulous detail, so sensual and seductive, and so on point in conveying Tashi plus Art and Patrick's feelings, that it's instantly one of Guadagnino's grand slams. In 2019, the picture's present day — a choice that enables Challengers to avoid everything pandemic-related — Art and Patrick go racquet to racquet in New Rochelle, New York. Pinging in-between their on-the-court confrontation, after they progress through the tournament on opposite sides to clash in the final, are flashes to moments from 2006 onwards. It was in that year, as teen doubles partners known as "Fire and Ice" (and best friends, and childhood tennis academy roommates), that the pair met Tashi. She's as confident when she's not standing on a green surface as she is on it, and on it she's an undoubtable prodigy. They're both immediately attracted to her. They each ask for her number at the same party while all three are together. In Challengers' later timing, however, Art is her husband and Patrick her ex-boyfriend. Art has also enjoyed almost every success that a tennis player can hope for, other than winning the US Open. Completing his career slam is his aim, with the New Rochelle contest about getting him back into form to stop a losing streak. Patrick has to sleep in his car to make the fixture; for him, earning a wildcard to the bigger dance and a chance at the kind of glory his former pal has long been basking in is the mission. The duo hasn't talked in years. The reason: a falling out about matters of the heart. But Challengers doesn't simplistically have its two men battle it out for Tashi as a prize, even when she promises a date to whoever wins their first game against — not with — each other in the mid-00s segments. Tashi is a force to be reckoned with. She'd never let herself become a trophy. Her career is cut short due to injury, sparking a move into coaching Art, and she's as ferocious and strategic there — and in their marriage — as she was when pursuing her own tennis fame. Then there's the inescapable bond between Art and Patrick anyway; Tashi's home-wrecker comments about sliding into the middle of their relationship aren't empty in Guadagnino's hands, whether a three-way kiss or loaded words are being exchanged. The director works with the first feature script by playwright, novelist and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes — and it's no wonder that authenticity beats at the heart of this deeply sultry, raw and evocative (and horny) movie. While this isn't a tale taken from actuality, Kuritzkes is the husband of filmmaker Celine Song, whose Oscar-nominated 2023 debut Past Lives not only leapt into another complicated love triangle but was loosely drawn from her own experiences. The two movies are playing different games, though, yet share the same richness of chemistry, lingering sexual tension, and understanding of how burning love and pining to be seen are life-shaping and -changing sensations. They're each so precisely helmed in their vastly dissimilar ways that they're works of art, and so expertly cast that their stars will always rank the respective flicks as career and performance highlights. Continuing the trend of Spider-Man love interests giving tennis films a whirl (see: Civil War's Kirsten Dunst with Wimbledon, then Poor Things' Emma Stone with Battle of the Sexes), Zendaya doesn't just make Tashi formidable and unforgettable; her portrayal, which is one of her best ever alongside Euphoria, firmly matches. Neither the movie nor its leading lady polish over the character's fierceness and ruthlessness when it comes to her passion, instead exploring what's behind her intensity from the outset: being a Black star who isn't from a comfortable background in a world that's all about whiteness and privilege. She's magnetic to viewers, and to Art and Patrick, who are brought to the screen with romanticism and vulnerability by Faist, and with spirited but comfortable charm by O'Connor. Challengers loiters at the net, where two sides are pushed together — not as any balls bounce through the bouts depicted, but in unpacking every pairing that can be made from its main trio, racial and economic divides that definte their realities, and the thin line that can become a vast chasm regarding genuinely grasping your dreams versus forever chasing them. As it hops and rushes about — including between time periods, characters, games and romances — Challengers zips and zings, and lunges and thrusts. Guadagnino's knack for immersion keeps working up the bracket film by film, to hypnotic effect here. There's no Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives or Memoria dreaminess to cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom's lensing, but the same crispness, as seen in his work on Call Me By Your Name and Suspiria as well, remains. New for Challengers is the dynamism of the sports scenes, and of switching from character to ball vantages, each absorbing visual choices. Marco Costa, who returns from Bones and All, edits just as energetically. And amid songs by Donna Summer, Lily Allen and Nelly, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' second Guadagnino score, also after Bones and All, is an adrenaline-dripping disco and electronica whirlwind that couldn't better set and reflect the propulsive mood. Talk about an all-round ace.
Melbourne's food and drinks scene is synonymous with diversity, community and, of course, trendiness. From renowned fine dining to world-famous coffee, great market culture and even being the birthplace of the dim sim, Melburnians have a lot to brag about. This also includes having some of the best casual eats in the country. Whether you want a slice of piping hot pizza, a scoop of artisanal gelato or a burger with the lot, Melbourne has you covered. To get the lowdown on the city's fast-food scene, we recently caught up with three hospo entrepreneurs (and genuine legends) for a lunchtime live-stream. Keep scrolling to catch highlights from our chat with the gelato queen behind Piccolina, Sandra Foti; pizza pro from Small Print Pizza, Adam Chapman; and the brains (and stomach) behind Easy's and Jimmy's Burgers, Jimmy Hurlston. https://vimeo.com/723639126 HARD WORK REALLY DOES PAY OFF We're sorry to break it to you but our hospo legends didn't rise to the top without putting in a whole lot of hard work first. Sandra Foti shares that she comes from a "really entrepreneurial family" and that upbringing shaped her approach to business. "I learned that work ethic — nothing comes for free. People say 'how did you do it?'. It's like: because I work my backside off every single day," she says. The secret? Finding something you're passionate about. "I go into work every day and I absolutely love it. It doesn't feel like work, it's like a hobby," she shares. https://vimeo.com/724345108 FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION Second to hard work is the trio's refusal to fear failure. Quick, bold decisions are the name of the game — this was the approach that Foti took when she first made the call to open a gelateria. "You're in the deep end, you move fast, you put yourself all in. Nobody wants to fail so you just...don't fail," Foti shares. This mantra surely helped her and our other guests persevere during Melbourne's seemingly endless lockdowns throughout 2020–2021. But the challenges aren't over. "It's tough out there at the moment with the cost of goods going up so much. So I am doing everything I can to keep us afloat: pump out some more marketing, make some changes in the kitchen," Chapman tells us. THE PIVOT IS AN ASSET Another common thread among our three guests is that their backgrounds are so vastly different from where they've found themselves in the hospitality realm. For starters, Chapman studied property and real estate at university, while Hurlston went from working in law to writing a book about hamburgers. But their past careers weren't a waste of time. Hurlston flexes his finely honed negotiating skills daily. And Foti, who studied graphic design, tells us that her training "unconsciously drives everything" she does. Take stock of Piccolina's impeccable branding and you'll see that to be true. https://vimeo.com/724340440 COMMUNITY MEANS EVERYTHING What makes the Melbourne hospo scene thrive? Community spirit might have something to do with it. Hurlston built his reputation as a burger connoisseur with the Instagram account @JimmysBurgers, giving shoutouts to the country's best burgers, sambos and all-around good eats. The golden rule of his account is the age-old saying "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it". Chapman also refuses to engage in any negative conversation on surrounding businesses. Instead, the consensus is that promoting your competitors rather than trying to take them down means creating a stronger industry for everyone involved. "I'd much rather promote the industry I'm in because the more people that love it and thinking about it, the more customers you get out of it. It was about creating a bigger industry and a bigger space that I worked in," Hurlston says. You can watch the full episode of Hot Takes & Takeaways on our Facebook page. If you'd like to learn more about what restaurants are doing to innovate right now, check out Uber Eats' Enterprise Hub.
The past two years have delivered plenty of trends that no one loves, including supermarket shortages and traipsing around town trying to get tested for COVID-19. But here's one that's made our lives easier during the pandemic: the fast-tracking of big-name movies to streaming. Seeing a film on the silver screen hasn't been a straightforward experience over this chaotic time, and more and more flicks are quickly making the jump from cinemas to digital — including reaching the latter when they're still showing at the former. The latest is Dune, which looks downright glorious projected on the largest screen you can find, and definitely benefits from the kind of surround-sound setup you'll only get to listen to in a theatre, but is now also available to watch at home if that'll brighten up your January. One of our best films of 2021, the instant sci-fi classic is available to buy and rent via video on demand from Thursday, January 13, including from digital movie services such as Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Accordingly, if you've already sat down on your couch to watch Timothée Chalamet in Don't Look Up this summer, you can now back it up with another of his recent flicks. Or, there's your next double feature sorted. [caption id="attachment_774009" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo credit: Chiabella James. Copyright: © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] A spice-war space opera about feuding houses on far-flung planets, Dune has long been a pop-culture building block. Before Frank Herbert's 1965 novel was adapted into a wrongly reviled David Lynch-directed film — a gloriously 80s epic led by Kyle MacLachlan and laced with surreal touches — it unmistakably inspired Star Wars, and also cast a shadow over Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Game of Thrones has since taken cues from it. The Riddick franchise owes it a debt, too. The list goes on and, thanks to the new version bringing its sandy deserts to life, will only keep growing. As he did with Blade Runner 2049, writer/director Denis Villeneuve has once again grasped something already enormously influential, peered at it with astute eyes and built it anew — and created an instant sci-fi classic. This time, Villeneuve isn't asking viewers to ponder whether androids dream of electric sheep, but if humanity can ever overcome one of our worst urges and all that it brings. And, in his version of Dune, he's doing so with an exceptional cast that spans Chalamet (The French Dispatch), Oscar Isaac (The Card Counter), Rebecca Ferguson (Reminiscence), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame), Javier Bardem (Everybody Knows), Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home) and more. Dune tells of birthrights, prophesied messiahs, secret sisterhood sects that underpin the galaxy and phallic-looking giant sandworms, and of the primal lust for power that's as old as time — and, in Herbert's story, echoes well into the future's future. Its unpacking of dominance and command piles on colonial oppression, authoritarianism, greed, ecological calamity and religious fervour, like it is building a sandcastle out of power's nastiest ramifications. And, amid that weightiness — plus those spectacularly shot visuals and Hans Zimmer's throbbing score — it's also a tale of a moody teen with mind-control abilities struggling with what's expected versus what's right. Check out the trailer for Dune below: Dune is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream online via video on demand from Thursday, January 13 — including from Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Read our full review.
Art meets science for this eye-opening, immersive Treasury Gardens installation, which is shining the spotlight on just how pollution is impacting different corners of the globe. Created by British artist Michael Pinsky, the series of five interconnected Pollution Pods will transport you to Norway's Tautra, London, New Delhi, Beijing and São Paulo, dishing up some confronting truths in the process. Each translucent, dome-like pod features a unique cocktail of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide, replicating the air quality and environmental factors of one of these cities. You'll kick things off enjoying the crisp clean air of Norway, while the other pods together share a much less cheery story. Pollution Pods are open Thursday–Friday 7pm–midnight and Saturday 7pm–2am. Image: Michael Pinsky
In Finland in 2015, British Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller unveiled a rock show. No, he didn't pick up an instrument. Rather, he staged a 24-hour movie marathon filled with music documentaries playing all day and all night. In 2024, it's Melbourne's turn to dance through this cinema endurance test (or remain seated, if you can resist the urge to do more than just tap your toes). 24 Hour Rock Show is making a trip Down Under for RISING 2024, and also linking in with the Day Tripper music festival. Both that fest-within-the-fest and this feast of films kick off at 12pm on Saturday, June 8. You'll get priority access to 24 Hour Rock Show if you're hitting up Day Tripper, but entry to the screenings at The Capitol are free either way. Deller will be on hand to get things started with a speech — and then movies upon movies (upon movies upon movies) will roll. The iconic Stop Making Sense, 2023's ONEFOUR: Against All Odds and Glastonbury the Movie are just some of the flicks getting a whirl. The Judas Priest- and Dokken-focused Heavy Metal Parking Lot, No Fixed Address on Tour in the UK, Johnny Cash live at San Quentin and Grace Jones: Private Life are also on the bill. And, amid clips from the archives at the ABC and Rage, unreleased fan footage of Warumpi Band playing live and more, Aussie concert film Australian Made features INXS, Divinyls, The Triffids and Jimmy Barnes, while DOA: A Right of Passage heads on Sex Pistols' last tour, complete with Iggy Pop, The Clash and Billy Idol as well. Top Stop Making Sense image: Jordan Cronenweth, A24.
If sitting on the couch is a regular part of your viewing schedule, we now know which big-name films you'll be streaming in 2022. Get ready for eagerly awaited whodunnit sequels, all-star action flicks, Jamie Foxx fighting vampires, futuristic Korean sci-fi and Jennifer Lopez as an assassin — and, because the list of brand-new movies that Netflix will add to its platform this year tallies up at a whopping 86 titles, to see plenty more where they're all about to spring from. As it did for 2021, Netflix has just unveiled its full slate of new films for 2022. It's a something-for-everyone kind of lineup, which the streaming service's catalogue always is, but the rundown of newcomers is also stacked with highlights. One instant standout: Knives Out 2, Rian Johnson's follow-up to his glorious Daniel Craig-starring whodunnit from 2019. Yes, the now-former 007 is back as Detective Benoit Blanc, this time in Greece, and interrogating suspects played by a cast that includes Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr and Kate Hudson. Netflix subscribers can also look forward to The Gray Man, which sees Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans team up in a thriller about CIA mercenaries; Day Shift, where the aforementioned Foxx plays a seemingly ordinary dad whose pool-cleaning job is a front for staking the undead; JUNG-E, the latest dystopian vision out of Korea from Train to Busan, Peninsula and Hellbound's Yeon Sang-ho; and Lopez's maternal John Wick-esque stint in The Mother, where she's a killer forced to come out of hiding to protect her daughter. [caption id="attachment_841834" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Helen Sloan/Netflix © 2022[/caption] Or, there's also Blonde, a fictional portrait of Marilyn Monroe featuring No Time to Die's Ana de Armas as the real-life figure; acting-focused comedy The Bubble, with writer/director Judd Apatow amassing one of his usual all-star casts; the Jason Momoa-led Slumberland, about a space between dreams and nightmares; and Wendell & Wild, with Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key voicing a stop-motion animation. Fresh from Nightmare Alley, Guillermo del Toro has a stop-motion animation musical version of Pinocchio in the works as well — and, for something completely different, Adam Sandler turns astronaut in Spaceman, from Chernobyl director Johan Renck. Also, White Noise reunites filmmaker Noah Baumbach with both Marriage Story's Adam Driver and Frances Ha's Greta Gerwig in an adaptation of Don DeLillo's book of the same name, while a new take on Roald Dahl's Matilda features Emma Thompson and Lashana Lynch, and springs from Tim Minchin's musical. And, Last Christmas' Paul Feig helms a fairytale fantasy starring Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington with School for Good and Evil. Because we're into February already, some of the flicks on Netflix's list already have release dates, if you're the type who likes plugging things into your calendar. They span films such as The Adam Project, a time-travel effort with Ryan Reynolds and Mark Ruffalo that hits on March 11; Against the Ice, which sends Game of Thrones' Nikolaj Coster-Waldau to Greenland from March 2; Choose or Die, the April 15-releasing horror flick about a curse includes Robert Englund (aka the OG Freddie Kruger) among its cast; and Senior Year, which drops on May 13, features Rebel Wilson and Alicia Silverstone, and follows a cheerleader who awakens after a 20-year coma. There's also a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre arriving on February 18, too. Among the movies that don't yet have set dates, Enola Holmes 2 will get Millie Bobby Brown to do more sleuthing, Interceptor sees Chris Hemsworth dealing with a nuclear missile attack, a new adaptation of Lady Chatterley's Lover stars The Crown's Emma Corrin, and Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello is the executive music producer on Metal Lords, about two kids starting a metal band. Plus, Dev Patel stars in and directs Monkey Man, Dakota Johnson leads a new version of Jane Austen's Persuasion, and Richard Linklater's Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood heads back to the summer of 1969. Netflix usually gives some of its new films cinema runs, as it did with the likes of The Harder They Fall, Passing, Red Notice, The Power of the Dog and Don't Look Up in 2021. So, while we see oh-so-much couch time in your future, you may be able to watch some of these flicks on the big screen as well. Check out Netflix's trailer for its 2022 films below: New movies will hit Netflix every week throughout 2022 — head to the streaming platform for its current catalogue. Top image: Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.
The State Library of Victoria is a grand old building — and she's about to get 40 percent grander. It's just been announced that the State Library will undergo massive renovations, opening up 40 percent more space to the public by 2020. The $88.1 million 2020 Vision redevelopment will include a new café, a new Readings bookshop, a co-working space, a children's centre, exhibition spaces and three new reading rooms — and that's just the start. The extension is being handled (with the greatest of care) by architecture firms Architectus — the big guns behind Brisbane's QAGOMA and the Arts West extension at Melbourne Uni — and Denmark's Schmidt Hammer Lassen. They've been surveying not just the site, but the community for the last 18 months to determine what to do with the new spaces. Great halls, defunct lobbies and decrepit entrances will be revamped and opened up. And they're committed to retaining the original style of the heritage building at the same time. The new spaces will include: Queen's Hall — Located on the Swanston Street side of the building, Queen's Hall was an original room, built in 1856, that's been closed for 15 years. It's being turned into a reading room during the day (event space at night), retaining its original 1856 wall paint. Russell Street entrance — The Russell Street side of the State Library is currently home only to spookiness and trash, but will be opened up to capture foot traffic. They'll be opening a café (a sibling for sweet Mr Tulk!), a Readings bookshop (yes!), and a co-working space for budding entrepreneurs. Children's Quarter — An education, but fun, space for kiddies and kidults alike to play and fall in love with the library. Matilda would be so proud. It's a massive undertaking. The State Government is contributing two-thirds of the funding, but the library has committed to raising the rest of the budget. Construction is slated to begin in July. You can read more about (and donate money to) the project here .
From web searches and browsers to email and document storage, Google has its fingers in plenty of different online pies. Many of its services have become such a part of our daily lives that we no longer give them much thought, but every now and then the company has fun with one of its platforms. So far, it has brought Pac-Man, Mario Kart, Where's Waldo? and Snake to Google Maps, and Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? to Google Earth, for example. With Avengers: Endgame shaking up cinemas right now, it should come as no surprise that the company has the Marvel Cinematic Universe in its sights. Or, for that matter, that it's using a certain Josh Brolin-voiced supervillain and his famed gauntlet — aka the object that's been causing so much grief in the MCU in recent films. A word of warning: if you somehow haven't seen Avengers: Infinity War over the past year, Google's latest Easter egg is definitely a spoiler. If you have seen Infinity War but haven't seen Endgame, however, the company isn't giving away anything that you don't already know. All MCU fans need to do is type 'Thanos' into Google's search engine and look for his Infinity Stone-adorned gauntlet, which is currently appearing next to his name in the information box on the right-hand side of the screen. Click the image, and you'll find the giant purple figure's finger-snapping tricks wreaking havoc on Google's search results. In other words: prepare for a bit more space on the page. The Easter egg is a timely move, given how many people have been rushing to cinemas to see Endgame — and how many people are probably searching for every piece of MCU-related information that they can find online afterwards. In Australia, the film smashed the opening day box office record when it launched on Wednesday, April 24, making more than $10 million on its opening day. Top image: Marvel Studios.
In the not-so-distant future, a visit to Melbourne Airport could also include a session at its sleek new rooftop bar. Having already announced a huge overhaul of facilities — proposing extra runways, expanded pick-up and drop-off zones, and extra travelators — the airport has just revealed another swag of potential improvements, on the cards as part of a planned $500 million makeover. The ambitious suite of proposals include a four-storey revamp for Terminal 2 (the international terminal), complete with rooftop bar and restaurant — an apparent nod to the CBD's famed laneway bars — viewing deck, five new airline lounges, extra seating and around 30 new specialty shops and eateries, with a focus on dishing up a high-end pre-flight experience for international travellers. Meanwhile, building is set to start early next year on a 464-room Fender Katsalidis-designed hotel near Terminal 4, which would house its own commercial gym and pool. This will be built in conjunction with the Accor group, with half of the rooms Novotel branded, and the other, Ibis. Other plans include the addition of four new roads and an elevated road loop network to help ease congestion, including an express elevated connection from the Tullamarine Freeway to the existing T4 Express Link. The airport's also set to score its own solar farm to supply all that extra energy. It's being installed beside the Northern Access Road, with 20,000 solar panels to be unveiled in the first stage by 2020. Best of all, this hefty makeover could mean eventually forking out less for flights. "More efficient airline operations and a greater number of airlines attracted to Melbourne, all combine to bring down airfares," said Melbourne Airport CEO Lyell Strambi in a statement. "So you get a better airport experience, and a cheaper flight, and a wider choice of destinations you can fly to." If approved, work on the Terminal 2 upgrade would kick off in October 2019, and is slated for completion by late 2022 — the same year construction on Melbourne's Airport Rail will hopefully begin.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, NSW has never closed its borders to domestic travellers. But you'll soon risk a hefty fine — and jail time — if you enter the state from one of Melbourne's "hot zone" suburbs. While NSW's community transmission levels of coronavirus have dropped and been non-existent for "quite a while", with most of the state's new cases from returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine, Victoria's have spiked. The southern state has seen 306 new cases since June 25 — with 73 of those recorded in the past 24 hours — and, as a result, has reintroduced strict stay-at-home orders in ten postcodes that have the highest levels. The suburbs under lockdown and whose residents are banned from entering NSW are: 3012: Brooklyn, Kingsville, Maidstone, Tottenham and West Footscray 3021: Albanvale, Kealba, Kings Park, St Albans 3032: Ascot Vale, Highpoint City, Maribyrnong, Travancore 3038: Keilor Downs, Keilor Lodge, Taylors Lakes, Watergardens 3042: Airport West, Keilor Park, Niddrie 3046: Glenroy, Hadfield, Oak Park 3047: Broadmeadows, Dallas, Jacana 3055: Brunswick South, Brunswick West, Moonee Vale, Moreland West 3060: Fawkner 3064: Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Mickleham, Roxburgh Park and Kalkallo Those in the listed suburbs are only allowed to leave their homes for one of four reasons — work or school, care or care giving, daily exercise or for food and other essentials — and risk an on-the-spot fine in Victoria for going out for anything else. This means, non-essential travel outside of your homes, let alone across the border to NSW, is off the cards for residents of these suburbs, regardless. But if you do cross the northern border, you'll need to quarantine for 14 days — just like returned international travellers — and if you don't, could be slapped with an $11,000 fine and spend up to six months in jail. The same rules apply for NSW residents who visit a hotspot, too — when you head back over the border, you'll need to quarantine and, if you don't, risk the same fiscal punishment or jail sentence. That said, you are only allowed to enter the Melbourne hotspots for one of the four aforementioned reasons — you can't go and visit friends or family. Announcing the new rules today, Wednesday, July 1, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said to Sydneysiders, "If you choose to go to a Melbourne hotspot you'll be required to go into isolation here for 14 days. Don't go to Victorian hotspots." To Melburnians, he said, "Victorians from hotspots are not welcome in NSW. Do not leave the hotspot. As soon as you step foot into NSW, you'll be exposed to the possibility of six months jail and a $11,000 fine." Hazzard said a public health order implementing the changes is expected to be signed later today. You can find out more about the status of COVID-19 at the NSW Health and Victorian Department of Health and Human Services websites.
This month at Richmond's Charles Nodrum Gallery, Melbourne-based artist David Harley will exhibit his large-scale abstract works, which he creates through a mix of new and old technology. These floor-to-ceiling digital paintings stretch the full length of the gallery's walls and present Harley's complex and radiant works in their fullest possible glory. Having been painting abstract works for decades, Harley has, since the 1990s, increasingly incorporated new technology into his work, including large-format printing, virtual three-dimensional constructions and projected animations. Harley works closely with each gallery he exhibits — going as far as creating visual models of the space to shape his paintings to the walls — to reflect the architecture of the gallery, creating an immersive experience for the audience. Alongside numerous solo exhibitions, Harley has recently completed two commissions for Deakin University's Burwood campus, and another for National Australia Bank. David Harley: free-form propositions #2 is on display now until Saturday, June 17. Image: Christo Crocker.
True crime and Cluedo collide with the launch of CluedUpp in Australia. The interactive detective game is coming to Melbourne on Saturday, November 23, and brings the classic board game to life on the streets of the city — with a slight twist. The outdoor adventure will take you back to 1960s London to solve the double murder of the famous Kray twins. While the Kray twins were very real, very notorious British gangsters, they were not murdered IRL, just in this murder mystery. Forget Colonel Mustard with the candlestick in the study, this event will bring you and your friends closer to reality and out onto the streets to solve the case. The game will kick off at a secret Melbourne location at 10am and, depending how good of a detective you are, will finish between midday and 2pm. The best news of all, however, is that the event is dog friendly — and there are prizes to be won by both human and canine detectives. All you need to play is some friends and your phone. Dressing up as 1960s gangsters is encouraged, so you can really get yourself into character. A ticket will set you back $65 per team of six, but you only need two humans to play. With only 100 teams available, get in quick for your chance to solve the mystery.
A massive, free digital art installation is set to takeover the skies above the Birrarung for five nights this October. Head down from 8pm between Wednesday, October 11–Sunday, October 15 to see the Yarra transformed with a symphonic sound and light installation. Created by audio composer Shaun Rigney together with light and sound experts LASERVISION, Sky Symphony marries Rigney's symphony Portraits of the Air with a unique display of lasers, lighting, water jets and a state-of-the-art projector. Portraits of the Air was recorded with Orchestra Victoria and conducted by Nicholas Buc. "I was thinking about a way of presenting the music and images when I saw LASERVISION's work on the internet. It blew my mind. They were making these astounding shows projecting lasers onto water screens. And I realised: our images are made of light and air and water … and here is a company using the same materials as their medium! I had to find a way to bring them together," says Rigney. Sky Symphony is a 12-minute installation which will play on loop every 20 minutes between 8–10.40pm. The Sky Symphony team reckon the best place to view the artwork is along the eastern end of Yarra Promenade, adjacent to Queens Bridge. Sky Symphony is supported by the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, granting funding for after-dark activities to all to give the night-time economy a hefty boost. [caption id="attachment_915903" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joondalup, 2023[/caption]
Melbourne Art Week is on the way, and Chunky Move is kicking off things on the right foot, so to speak. Company dancer Niharika Senapati will run a Dance Class Party on Friday, August 3, combining sweat with tunes for some inner and outer good feels. Having appeared in Chunky Move works including Depth of Field, Rule of Thirds, ANTI-GRAVITY and Accumulation, Senapati will be putting her considerable talent into a dance party designed to warm you up for the weekend. Think you've got two left feet? Doesn't matter — the Dance Class Party is all-inclusive, with everyone welcome to roll on up and enjoy the disco ball and smoke machine and live your teenage dance dreams. Plus, the ticket price of $15 includes a drink on arrival, a pre-cursor to a bangin' Friday night for sure. The party will be held in the Chunky Move studios right behind Melbourne Art Fair's 2000-square-metre pop-up marquee, Vault Hall.
Because conquering the pizza world isn't enough, 400 Gradi also has its own gelateria. Zero Gradi is home to traditional Neapolitan-style gelato. Classic and rotating flavour specials include pistachio, salted caramel and espresso, and they have Nutella and chocolate taps if you want to kick things up a notch. And the store regularly does special flavours — last year it even did a scoop of Aperol spritz. Good luck narrowing your choices down to just one. Granita, Italian pastries, cakes and coffee are also on offer. Image: Shannyn Higgins.
Striking feats of cinema by Yorgos Lanthimos aren't scarce. Sublime performances by Emma Stone are hardly infrequent. Screen takes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein have been a constant since the birth of moving pictures. For Lanthimos, see: Dogtooth and Alps in the Greek Weird Wave filmmaker's native language, plus The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Favourite in English. With Stone, examples come in her Best Actress Oscar for La La Land, supporting nominations before and after for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Lanthimos' aforementioned regal satire (which made him a Best Director contender, too), and twin 2024 Golden Globe nods for their latest collaboration Poor Things as well as TV's The Curse. And as for the greatest gothic story there is, not to mention one of the most-influential horror and sci-fi works ever, the evidence spans traditional adaptations, plus debts owed as widely as The Rocky Horror Show and M3GAN (Blade Runner, The Fly, Re-Animator, Weird Science, Edward Scissorhands, Ex Machina, Upgrade, Little Joe and The Creator are also on the lengthy list). Combining Lanthimos, Stone and Shelley results in a rarity, however: a jewel of a pastel-, jewel- and bodily fluid-toned feminist Frankenstein-esque fairy tale that's a stunning and dazzling creation. As zapped to life with Lanthimos' inimitable flair, a mischievous air and Stone at her most extraordinary, Poor Things isn't just unique despite building on three shining successes — it's a treasure that's as audacious as it is subversive, and as breathtakingly willing to get wild as it is downright brilliant. Emotions, ideas, empowerment, twisting Shelley and Promethean myth into a pointed skewering of the societal expectations placed upon women, a committed ensemble, entrancing touches in every frame, a score that's equally jarring and jaunty, a dreamily macabre vibe, furious fearlessness: this film is alive with them all. That a tale about reviving the dead to grapple with mortality and the yearning to thwart it keeps inspiring new riffs has always been fitting, with each new storyteller undergoing that same process in their way, but this version is a lightning bolt. With cascading black hair, an inquisitive stare, incessant frankness and jolting physical mannerisms, Poor Things' star becomes Bella Baxter in this suitably weird and wondrous adaptation of Alasdair Grey's award-winning 1992 novel, as penned by Australian screenwriter Tony McNamara (The Great, and another Academy Award-nominee for The Favourite). Among the reasons that the movie and its lead portrayal are so singular: as a character with a woman's body that's been resurrected with a baby's brain, Stone plays someone from infancy to adulthood, all with the astonishingly exact mindset and mannerisms to match. Putting her comedic skills to excellent use but ensuring that Bella is never a joke, she does so while making each move, choice and feeling as organic as birth, living and death. The entire scope of Poor Things' protagonist is the kind of wish that actors mightn't realise they have because it's so remarkable. With Bella all impulses and curiosity at first, then buzzing with sexual desire and devotedly pursuing autonomy — and with a frenetic-but-stiff doll-like gait that's a marvel to watch, plus say-anything speech patterns — Stone turns the opportunity into an exquisite masterclass. The time and place when Poor Things kicks off: a fantastical steampunk vision of Victorian-era Europe. Although the film begins in colour as a woman ends her own life, Lanthimos and cinematographer Robbie Ryan (also back from The Favourite, and also with an Oscar nod to his name thanks to that flick) swiftly switch to black and white to meet what becomes of the suicidal person's body. It's due to the London-based, scar-faced Scottish doctor Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe, Asteroid City) that Bella exists; even if she didn't call him God, he's been playing it, including with household pets and other animals. His new human creature toddles around, aiding with his unorthodox surgeries and indulging whatever takes her fancy — smashing plates, smacking visitors, and enjoying new discoveries and sensations with literal childlike glee. But regardless of her father figure's intentions or wants, freedom, horniness, the quest for independence and agency, wanting to know more than the protective world he's left her in and a lust for adventure all beckon. Accordingly, while Godwin tries to marry Bella off to kind and sincere medical student Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef, Ramy), she hatches other plans. With Poor Things joining Call Me By Your Name in its carnal use of fruit, Bella discovers "working on myself to get happiness" and "furious jumping" — that'd be masturbation and fornication, with her debut experience with the latter returning the movie's hues as well — and runs off to the continent with caddish lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) instead. Lisbon, a cruise that stops in Alexandria and Paris await. So does a survey of all that living can hold for women, both for the feature's reawakened force and viewers. Lanthimos' fascination for tearing into humanity's social constructions and pretences to expose its realities gets electrified again, as does his concurrent obsession with battling such structures and systems by forming insular worlds, and the need to escape that then springs. Portugal brings hot air balloons, a bewitching all-timer of a dance scene, just some of the flick's acrobatic thrusting, an attempt to enforce civic niceties and Bella steadfastly refusing to be anything but herself. The boat ride introduces books, friendship and the first real female advice that she's received via Martha (Hanna Schygulla, who came to fame half a century back for her work with Rainer Werner Fassbinder). It also sees cynicism and the world's suffering enter her understanding courtesy of Martha's companion Harry (Jerrod Carmichael, On the Count of Three). In France, a lack of cash finds her in the employ of madam Swiney (Kathryn Hunter, Andor) and leaning into socialism with fellow sex worker Toinette (Suzy Bemba, Everything Is Well). And when the past makes a comeback, it's with bullying and misogynistic power dynamics (and with Sanctuary's Christopher Abbott in a key role). As in The Favourite, the hefty use of fish-eye lenses has it: this lavish, libidinous and happily lewd deadpan delight isn't interested in the same old view of liberation, sex, life's transience and conflicts, defying the accepted order and patriarchal control that everyone has seen before, let alone a regular coming-of-age jaunt or a by-the-book Frankenstein iteration. While it splices together nods to gothic horror nakedly, it isn't routine or a patchwork there, either. As Bella goes on a radical, rebellious, gorgeously rendered, gloriously funny and generously insightful odyssey, Poor Things doesn't sport a standard perspective on anything, in fact. As seen in the efforts of a tour-de-force Stone, her co-stars, Ryan, composer Jerskin Fendrix (a film first-timer), editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis (Lanthimos' go-to since 2005's Kinetta), production designers Shona Heath (another feature debutant) and James Price (The Nest), and costumer Holly Waddington (also The Great), it eschews sticking with the typical everywhere. Richness abounds, then. The only thing that's paltry: even clocking in at 141 madcap and magnificent minutes, that Poor Things doesn't run forever.
When a film casts a universally adored actor as an unlucky-in-love character, it sends the world a message: that romance's joys and heartbreaks spare no one. When a movie tasks its protagonist with grappling with technology, it makes another statement: that the advancements meant to makes our lives easier can, and often do, have the exact opposite effect. Not just tried-and-tested, but commonplace, these cinematic choices have become cliches. The truisms they represent are already well-known and well-worn, too. And yet reminders don't go astray when they're not only clever and compelling, but baked into a catfishing thriller as twisty, perceptive and engaging as Who You Think I Am, which turns subverting expectations into its very mission. Nothing is what it seems in this French standout. As the picture's moniker makes plain, that includes its protagonist, as played by Juliette Binoche. Starring in a film that initially appears a kindred spirit to last year's rom-com Let the Sunshine In, the acclaimed talent again steps into the shoes of an unhappily single 50-something who's newly navigating the dating pool. Where Claire Denis' rom-com poignantly revelled in the ebbs and flows of being unattached later in life, filmmaker Safy Nebbou uses the scenario as a springboard to examine the contradictions of today's always-online, always-connected society. Finding a partner, whether for now or forever, may be as straightforward as swiping across a screen these days, but it's also burdened with complications and deceptions. There's a glimmer of defiance twinkling in Binoche's eyes when her character, university academic Claire, takes her love life in a drastic direction after her divorce. Adjusting to the new status quo, she still wants to be desired. So, if her ex can run off with someone much younger, then she can have flings with men half her age. When her latest squeeze starts fading out of her life, she also takes up cyberstalking. To discover why Ludo (Guillaume Gouix) has called time on their dalliance without any real explanation, Claire becomes Clara, a fresh-faced fashion intern aged just 24. Soon, the professor isn't just trawling through social media looking for answers about her latest breakup — under her new persona, she's cosying up to Ludo's friend and assistant Alex (François Civil). The ordinary act of clicking "like" on Facebook sparks a thread of direct messages, then texts, then hot-and-heavy phone calls, with Clara and Alex's online affair getting serious quickly. Adapted by Nebbou and co-screenwriter Julie Peyr from Camille Laurens' novel, Who You Think I Am isn't content to just inch towards the expected revelation one keystroke at a time. Nor is it happy to merely probe the unfair importance placed on appearances in the online dating realm, or the ageist tendency to erase women over a certain age. All of the above play a part in this icily, meticulously shot flick, but its insistence on never fitting neatly into any category extends to a narrative that keeps branching off in different directions. Framed by chats between Claire and her therapist (Nicole Garcia), as obsessed with duality as any Hitchcock classic, and also purposefully referencing the notoriously slippery and seductive Dangerous Liaisons, the end result is snaky thriller, a contemplative drama and even a thorny romance. Or, much like Claire, it's a movie with more than one identity. Continuing an exceptional recent run that also includes witty literary comedy Non-Fiction and the stellar, space-set High Life, it goes without saying that Binoche is the glue holding Who You Think I Am together. The film is impressively scripted, structured, shot and styled, and would retain these facets even with a different lead — however the right performer can always elevate a great picture to a higher level. While investing in the story's twists and turns is crucial, and something that Nebbou achieves with aplomb, believing in Claire is even more vital. Whether agonising over the right wording for her next message, itching for the phone that becomes her portal to another world, or confidently embracing not just her online charade, but the chance to rewrite her own tale, Binoche ensures that audiences are with her lonely, yearning character every step of the way. A catfishing movie that makes you empathise with the perpetrator? That's just one of the delights of this sharp, smart and savvily layered surprise package. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShwXIOszzIM
Each year, at the turn of winter to spring, Hindus celebrate Holi, a festival exalting colour that leaves participants saturated in bright hues. Holi serves as the inspiration behind the Color Run, a unique 5k race that has taken the U.S. by storm and is now headed to Australia. Runners are invited to join the "3.1 miles of color madness" that comprise the untimed Color Run purely for the sake of a good time. The only race requirements are that all participants wear a white t-shirt and be willing to be greeted with a blast of coloured pigment upon completing every leg of the race. The pigment, made of 100% natural food-grade cornstarch, is colour-specific for each portion of the race. After the first kilometre, runners are splattered with yellow; after the second, they are doused in blue. And so it continues until the end of the 5 kilometres, when each runner is covered head-to-toe in a brilliant mish-mash of every hue imaginable. So far only three Australian dates have been announced, but organisers have promised events for most Australian states in late 2012 and early 2013 The Color Run Australia dates:Melbourne - November 25, 2012 (Register)Sydney - February 10, 2013Perth - February 17, 2013Adelaide - TBCBrisbane - TBCCanberra - TBCGeelong - TBCGold Coast - TBCNewcastle - TBC Stay up to speed with further announcements via The Color Run Australia Facebook page. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZWsfHC-0d6A
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT "Nic fuckiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing Cage." That's how the man himself utters his name in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and he knows what he's about. Now four decades into his acting career to the year — after making his film debut in Fast Times at Ridgemont High under his actual name Nicolas Coppola, playing a bit-part character who didn't even get a moniker — Cage is keenly aware of exactly what he's done on-screen over that time, and in what, and why and how. He also knows how the world has responded, with that recognition baked into every second of his his latest movie. He plays himself, dubbed Nick Cage. He cycles through action-hero Cage, comically OTT Cage, floppy-haired 80s- and 90s-era Cage, besuited Cage, neurotic Cage and more in the process. And, as he winks, nods, and bobs and weaves through a lifetime of all things Cage, he's a Cage-tastic delight to watch. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is Cage uncaged, busting out the jazz that is his acting and adoring it, and it's a self-aware, super-meta love letter to its star and all who stan him. It's also a feature that couldn't exist without the thespian who has everything from Guarding Tess and Captain Corelli's Mandolin to The Croods and Pig on his resume; replacing him simply wouldn't work. Again, it's a Cage gem in letting Cage devotees revel in Cage doing every kind of Cage. That said, this Cage comedy is also so overtly designed to inspire Cage mania that it's easy to feel the buttons being pushed. It's the Cage movie that the internet has willed into existence, or film Twitter at least. Case in point: it has Cage realise that Paddington 2 is one of the best movies ever made. It is, but given how well-accepted that is, and how much online attention has stressed that fact — including its once-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score — weaving it into this Cagefest is one of the film's many exercises in stating the obvious. There is narrative around all that "Nic fuckiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing Cage" and his marmalade bear-loving epiphany. Here, the man who could eat a peach for days in Face/Off would do anything for as long as he needed to if he could lock in a weighty new part. The fictionalised Cage isn't happy with his roles of late, as he complains to his agent (Neil Patrick Harris, The Matrix Resurrections), but directors aren't buying what he's enthusiastically selling. He has debts and other art-parodies-life problems, though, plus an ex-wife (Sharon Horgan, This Way Up) and a teen daughter (Lily Sheen, IRL daughter of Kate Beckinsale and Michael Sheen). So, he reluctantly takes a $1-million gig he wishes he didn't have to: flying to southern Spain to hang out with billionaire Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal, The Bubble), who is such a Cage diehard that he even has his own mini museum filled with Cage memorabilia, and has also written a screenplay he wants Cage to star in. Yes, writer/director Tom Gormican (Are We Officially Dating?) and co-scribe Kevin Etten (Kevin Can F**K Himself) task the always-likeable Pascal with playing The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent's on-screen audience surrogate. If you're watching a movie with Cage as Cage — one that begins with a clip from Con Air at that — then you'd likely jump at the chance to spend time with the inimitable figure. Who wouldn't? But that's just one element of the story, because two CIA agents (The Afterparty's Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz) inform Cage that his new pal is an arms dealer who's keeping a politician's daughter hostage to sway an election. And, they want him to indulge his host — undercover as himself, naturally — until they find the girl. The next key aspect of the tale: during this ruse, Cage and Javi genuinely become CBFFs (Cage best friends forever), including while working on a screenplay about new buddies who bond in chaotic circumstances. Read our full review. THE NORTHMAN Satanic goats don't talk in The Northman. Heartthrobs don't masturbate while fondling mermaid figurines, either. Still, within ten minutes, pre-teen Viking prince Amleth (Oscar Novak, The Batman), his glory-seeking warrior father King Aurvandil War-Raven (Ethan Hawke, Moon Knight) and jester-meets-shaman Heimir (Willem Dafoe, Nightmare Alley) descend into a fire-lit cave to take hallucinogens, growl, grunt, bark like wolves and fart like it's a god-given superpower. If viewers didn't know who's behind this bold, brutal, brilliant, and blood- and guts-strewn Scandinavian opus before then, there's no doubt from this trippy scene onwards: after The Witch and The Lighthouse, writer/director Robert Eggers' touch, approach and style have become that distinctive just three remarkable features into his helming career. As he first demonstrated with his potent pilgrim horror movie, then doubled down on with his mesmerising oceanside nightmare, Eggers crafts chaotic celluloid dreams about faith- and sanity-stretching dances with madness and mania. He makes features so striking that they're haunting, rippling with the devotedly realistic and the hypnotically occult in tandem. Eggers' work isn't merely meticulously tense and atmospheric; it proves blisteringly visceral to the point of feeling inescapably tangible. Indeed, his steadfast commitment to authenticity spirits the whole concept of immersive filmmaking high into movie Valhalla. See: the vivid period-appropriate detail in The Northman's Nordic villages, which'd only be more evocative if they'd time-travelled in from the ninth and tenth centuries. Sense: the entrancing swirl that springs from all of the above, complete with Eggers' unfailing idiosyncrasies. Experience: the sublime tussle with myth, fantasy and folklore that results, as it has in each of his features, to both plunge into and interrogate his history-set reveries. In this untamed and laid-bare portrait of the past, something is rotten in the state of Iceland — as it was in Denmark via William Shakespeare, and in the Pride Lands of Africa in both versions of The Lion King. Writing The Northman's screenplay with poet, novelist and Björk collaborator Sjón (Lamb), Eggers takes his cues not from Hamlet, however, but from the Old Norse legend of Amleth that inspired the iconic tragedy. The narrative still involves a son anointed to be the future king, a tragedy that shatters his regal family, and a dastardly uncle who gets murderous to seize the throne and his brother's wife, of course. And, it keeps following its protagonist as he wages a determined odyssey of feral revenge against the man who reshaped his fate so ruthlessly. "I will avenge you, father. I will save you, mother. I will kill you, Fjölnir." That's Amleth's vow as a boy on a north Atlantic island in 895 when he witnesses the latter's (Claes Bang, Locked Down) treachery. He flees after hearing his uncle bay for his head, too, and seeing him carry off Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos) as a spoil of his victory. Two decades later, Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård, Succession) is a hulking, wolfskin-clad Viking berserker, living life flinging whatever weaponry he can find while viciously pillaging through the lands of the Rus. But amid the bloodlust, gore and piling-up body count, the intense marauder is thrust back onto his vengeance-seeking path. A Slavic seeress (Björk, in her first film role since 2005) whispers stark truths about his current savagery and lapsed mission against Fjölnir, reigniting his yearning for that promised slaughter — and the single-minded behemoth learns that his uncle is now sheep-farming in Iceland, having lost the kingdom in another coup. Read our full review. ITHAKA To look at John Shipton is to see the obvious, even if you've never laid eyes upon him before. The family resemblance is immediately clear, and the traits that've likely been passed down from father to son — determination and persistence, blatantly — become apparent within minutes. Shipton needs to be resolute for the battle that documentary Ithaka captures. It's a fight that's been waged for a decade now, publicly, and not just in embassies and courtrooms but across news headlines worldwide. He's visibly Julian Assange's dad, and he's been helping spearhead the campaign for the WikiLeaks founder's release. Assange fell afoul of US authorities in 2010, when his non-profit whistleblower organisation published documents about the American military's war crimes leaked by army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. As Ithaka makes plain, The Guardian, The New York Times and Der Spiegel revealed the same information at the same time; however, only Assange now sits in London's Belmarsh prison. Plenty about the past 12 years since Manning's leaks were exposed to the world is filled with numbers. Plenty about the ten years this June since Assange first took refuge in the Embassy of Ecuador in London is as well. The Australian editor and publisher spent almost seven years in that diplomatic space, seeking political asylum from sexual misconduct allegations in Sweden that he contended would be used to extradite him to America. If the US succeeds in its efforts, and in its espionage charges against him, he faces up to 175 years in incarceration. The list of figures goes on, but filmmaker Ben Lawrence (Hearts and Bones) makes two pivotal choices. Firstly, he surveys Assange's current struggle not through the Aussie himself, but through both Shipton and Stella Moris, his South African-born lawyer and now wife. Secondly, although those aforementioned numbers are inescapable, the riveting and affecting Ithaka brings humanity to this well-publicised plight. Moris herself sums up the movie's position best at the unveiling of a statue of Assange in Geneva. "I'm here to remind you that Julian isn't a name, he isn't a symbol; he's a man and he's suffering," she says. It's a reminder that Ithaka's audience might need, given how ubiquitous Assange's tale has become, including on-screen — in fellow docos We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks and Risk, and in dramas Underground: The Julian Assange Story and The Fifth Estate — and how polarising he has proven. Risk attempted to grapple with his contradictions, but Ithaka almost deems them irrelevant. Lawrence doesn't dismiss, excuse or pander; rather, he knows that Shipton and Moris' point remains regardless: that how Assange has been treated for receiving and publishing information is a human rights abuse, as well as an attack on the freedom of the press. That notion echoes again and again in Ithaka alongside its rousing soundtrack by Brian Eno, and with passion; to look at both Shipton and Moris is to see the fervour blazing tirelessly in their eyes, too. Making his second documentary after 2018's Ghosthunter, Lawrence fills the bulk of his naturalistically shot frames with the pair working against Assange's possible extradition, and for justice, with that avid gleam given ample opportunities to keep burning. Again, among the litany of opinions that he's evoked over the years, the idea that the Australian deserves life in prison for distributing Manning's intel to the world — or that anyone does — shouldn't have a place. Ithaka's allegiances are never in doubt, even without knowing that Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton is one of its producers, but giving time to the WikiLeaks creator's critics wouldn't and couldn't have changed its core position. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 6, January 13, January 20 and January 27; February 3, February 10, February 17 and February 24; and March 3, March 10, March 17, March 24 and March 31; and April 7 and April 14. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man, Red Rocket, Scream, The 355, Gold, King Richard, Limbo, Spencer, Nightmare Alley, Belle, Parallel Mothers, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Belfast, Here Out West, Jackass Forever, Benedetta, Drive My Car, Death on the Nile, C'mon C'mon, Flee, Uncharted, Quo Vadis, Aida?, Cyrano, Hive, Studio 666, The Batman, Blind Ambition, Bergman Island, Wash My Soul in the River's Flow, The Souvenir: Part II, Dog, Anonymous Club, X, River, Nowhere Special, RRR, Morbius, The Duke and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Fantastic Beasts and the Secrets of Dumbledore, Ambulance, Memoria, The Lost City, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Happening and The Good Boss.
The toastie has really come into its own in the last few years — it's increasingly becoming the star and namesake of countless pop-ups, permanent venues and even drive-throughs. What can we say? Ain't nothin' wrong with bread, cheese and meat. So we're happy to announce that The Bridge Hotel agrees with the toastie life too. So much so that they're launching their own toasted sandwich pop-up that'll serve fat stacks of toasties to satisfy your midday cheese cravings. From Monday, February 27, the Richmond pub will set up Toast'd. The menu will consist of four types of toasties: sticky chicken (with red onion and American cheese), pulled beef (with American cheese), three cheese (the cheese lineup includes parmesan, brie and mozzarella) and veggie patch (in-season veggie mix with goats' cheese). So hope you like cheese. Either way, they'll be served with a side of pickles to cut through the cheese if it's too much for you. The toasties will be available for ten bucks a pop between noon and 5pm, Monday to Friday from the pub's internal laneway.
Pack your sleeping bag and don your warmest flannels — Melbourne's annual mass sleepover is returning for another year. The house you'll be heading to? None other than the MCG. Yep, the MCG. But instead of 100,000 screaming footy fans, the ground will host around 1800 sleepers for the largest mass sleeper event ever in the city. Hosted by Melbourne City Mission, the event raises awareness and funds to support youth homelessness in Melbourne. You'll be kept entertained with live music, handball competitions run by AFL players, giveaways and even guided meditation to help you fall asleep. Come dressed in your best sleep attire for the sleepwear fashion competition and learn about the core challenges of homelessness that over 6000 young people face in Melbourne. Registration costs $70, and includes a cardboard box to sleep on, a dinner of warm soup, coffee, tea and a basic breakfast the following morning. You're encouraged to raise further funds with your fam and friends to help Melbourne City Mission reach its goal of $1.2 million. While you don't actually get to sleep on the hallowed turf (sorry, footy fans), but, still, there's still nothing quite like sleeping at the 'G. There's also nothing quite like sleeping outside on the brink of Melbourne winter, which should help you realise the magnitude of what it means to be homeless. If you can't make it on the night, you can show your support by donating here.
If you're the kind of beer lover who feels like they've tried every brew ever — or you've made it your mission to achieve that yeasty goal — then you're probably a big fan of the Great Australasian Beer Spectapular. For more than a decade now, since it started off as a Melbourne-only celebration of ales, lagers, ciders and more, the event has been serving up weird, wild, wonderful and inventive varieties, many of which are made exclusively for the booze-sipping shindig. In 2022, that's set to be the case once more, with the beer fest returning for a tour of Australia's east coast capitals in May. GABS is considered to be one of the best craft beer and cider festivals in the Asia Pacific region for good reason, and this year it has at least 120 of them, because that's how many brews will be on offer. Prepare to knock back beers inspired by breakfast foods, savoury snacks, desserts, cocktails and more when the event kicks off its 2022 run at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, May 7, then heads to Sydney's ICC Darling Harbour from Friday, May 20–Saturday, May 21, then finishes up its Aussie dates at the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, over the weekend of Friday, May 27–Sunday, May 29. Some of the foods and drinks that this year's GABS brews are taking their cues from: peanut butter, coffee, earl grey tea, chicken salt, pizza, fairy floss, bubblegum and sour gummi bears. Confirmed highlights include Brouhaha's Baked and Wasted, a sour which uses wasted baked goods; Capital Brewing Co's experimental Smooches, which pairs cocao nibs with a strawberry kick; Mismatch Brewing Co's We Love NY Cheesecake stout, in case you've ever wondered what cheesecake in a glass tastes like; and The Catchment Brewing Co's Ra Ra Raspoutine, another stout that, yes, is brewed from chips, cheese and gravy. The event surveys both Australian and New Zealand breweries, with more than 60 set to be pouring their wares in Brisbane, and 70-plus in Sydney and Melbourne. As well as the aforementioned outfits, this year they'll also include Balter, Range, Otherside, Black Hops, Ballistic, Your Mates, Mountain Culture, One Drop and Little Creatures, as well as Colonial, Mountain Goat and Bentspoke — and NZ's Garage Project and Panhead Custom Ale. Also on the bill: other types of tipples, including non-alcoholic beers, seltzers, whiskey, gin, cocktails and wines (including by 19 Crimes Snoop Dog Cali Red). GABS is known for dishing up a hefty lineup of activities to accompanying all that sipping, too, which'll span a silent disco, roaming bands, circus and sideshow performers, games and panels with industry leaders in 2022, as well as local food trucks and vendors to line your stomach. GREAT AUSTRALASIAN BEER SPECTAPULAR 2022 DATES: Saturday, May 7 — Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane Friday, May 20–Saturday, May 21 — ICC Darling Harbour, Sydney Friday, May 27–Sunday, May 29 — Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne GABS takes place across Australia's east coast throughout May — head to the event's website for tickets and further details.
After a stint in Heath Ledger's hometown, this stunning exhibition is making its way east to Canberra's National Film and Sound Archive. Celebrating the Perth-born actor's charisma, exemplary career and passionate creativity, Heath Ledger: A Life in Pictures is a must-see for all Ledger fans. Put together by AGWA, the WA Museum and guest curator Allison Holland, the exhibition follows Ledger's career from his teenage years up to his final role in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009). You'll get to see costumes — including the Joker suit from The Dark Knight and the shirts he wore as Ennis del Mar in Brokeback Mountain — alongside research journals (on display for the first time) that grant an insight into how Ledger developed his roles. Also included in the show are photographic portraits by the likes of Karin Catt and Bruce Weber, Ledger's Best Supporting Actor Oscar and BAFTA, and a chronological narrative of his career — including his own experimentation with image making and creative projects as a director. Promises to be a bittersweet reminder of just how talented Ledger was, and what even greater heights he would have gone on to achieve.
The Great Australasian Beer Spectapular — better known as just GABS — returns to the Royal Exhibition Building for its ninth year over the weekend of May 17–19. After humble beginnings right here in Melbourne, the festival has now expanded to cover four cities, two countries, and is rightfully considered by most as the best craft beer and cider festival in the Asia Pacific region. Creators Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone (The Local Taphouse, Stomping Ground Brewing Co.) have again wrangled up the best breweries from the region and are offering up hundreds of brews, including 100+ exclusive festival beers and ciders. These exclusive and often wacky specialty brews are created just for the event and are generally the festival's main draw, giving attendees the rare chance to try brand-spanking new beers while meeting the brewers behind them. This year's festival brews include collaborations with coffee roasters, tea houses, gin and whisky distillers, biscuit makers and even an American barbecue smokehouse — so expect plenty of experimental tastes. Apart from beer, the event will also play host to mini golf, a giant beer can piñata, a roller racing derby, a silent disco and a competitive scavenger hunt. The much loved 18-metre-high beer Ferris wheel will make its return, as will the usual wandering performances and local food stalls. The weekend-long event is categorised in five sessions, with the season passes to all sessions already sold out. We wish those ticket holders the best of luck.
For 22 years, BIGSOUND has highlighted Australia's music industry, getting power players sharing their experience and advice, championing up-and-coming talents, fostering crucial connections, and celebrating live tunes and the folks that make them happen in general. Here's a few other handy numbers for the music conference-slash-festival's upcoming 2023 run: four days, 18 venues, 141 artists and 300-plus showcases. Brisbanites and music obsessives, take note: the Sunshine State capital will be Australia's music haven between Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8. Earlier this year, BIGSOUND announced its first speakers, headlined ROC Nation's Omar Grant — who was once the road manager for Destiny's Child and now shares the President role at Jay-Z's entertainment agency. Now, it has dropped the full list of musicians that'll be getting behind a microphone. More than 1300 applications to hit BIGSOUND's stages were received for the 2023 event, but it's the festival team's job to whittle them down to the standouts. Among those making the bill: Brisbane's own Full Flower Moon Band, Zheani, Felivand and Baby Prince; Sydney's Moss and Little Green; Melbourne's PANIA, Moaning Lisa and The Slingers; Perth's DICE and Siobhan Cotchin; and Adelaide's Aleksiah and The Empty Threats. From New Zealand comes Reb Fountain and SWIDT, while Casey Mowry and MF Tomlinson are heading to Queensland from the UK. [caption id="attachment_861894" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] The list goes on, complete with a significant focus on representation. Among 2023's talents, 27 percent identify as LGBTQIA+, 50 percent are female or gender non-conforming, and First Nations acts comprise 18 percent of the lineup. Indeed, 27 showcases will be devoted to Australia's Indigenous artists, including Miss Kaninna, Loren Ryan, Brady, The Merindas, J-MILLA, CLOE TERARE, Tjaka and Kobie Dee. Fancy checking out the most isolated heavy metal band in the world? That'd be Southeast Desert Metal, and they're also on the roster. [caption id="attachment_907800" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simone Gorman-Clark[/caption] Top image: Jess Gleeson.
Philadelphia indie-rockers The War on Drugs have revealed they will play two sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne alongside their Australian debut performances at Falls Festival and Southbound. Devoted fans will no doubt be crossing their fingers that some material from their much-awaited third album will be unveiled during the tour. The War on Drugs emerged onto the scene back in 2005 as a musical collaboration between frontman and creative honcho Adam Granduciel and Kurt Vile, who has since left to pursue a solo career with his backing band The Violators. If you've never heard of them but you like your rock and roll a little bit classic (think a bit of Petty, a splash of Springsteen and, vocally, a whole lot of Dylan), then you may want to grab tickets to a show. The War on Drugs plays Melbourne's Northcote Social Club on Monday, 28 December, and the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney on Monday, 6 January. Tickets are on sale now through Handsome Tours.
Good news for all you night owls out there: 24-hour weekend public transport in Melbourne is set to continue as a permanent service for the city's late night travellers. The state government first began trialling the Night Network at the beginning of 2016 with metropolitan train services, as well as select tram and bus routes, operating all night long. In August last year, it extended the test run through until June 2017; however now Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan has announced that it's here to stay. "The best cities in the world don't stop when the sun goes down – and neither does Melbourne," said Allan in a statement. More than two million trips have been taken on overnight services since the Night Network started running, with shift workers comprising more than 20 percent travellers. The implementation of all-night public transport was a key election issue for the Labor government, and it's no wonder that helping people get home after a late shift or a big night out has proven popular. In a statement released today, the commitment to making the all-night weekend services a permanent feature will see an assessment take place based on passenger feedback and movement patterns, with an aim to improve the network post June 30. However that shakes out, you'll still be able to hop on a train, tram and bus all the way through the evening come Fridays and Saturdays. That's worth staying out late to celebrate. Image: Binayak Dasgupta via Flickr. By Tom Clift and Sarah Ward.
The creator of No One Likes Me, Darren Vizer, is best known for his extensive experience as a choreographer for companies like Sydney Dance Company and Opera Australia. But this play at the iconic La Mama Theatre — where it emerged from its Explorations Season last year — sees Vizer flex his theatrical muscles, creating a tightly interwoven piece that explores the interconnected impact of bullying upon our identity. This show was one of our top picks for Midsumma 2014, see our full list here.
Ever since Freddie Mercury teamed up with Brian May and company back in the 70s, Queen has never been out of fashion. And, thanks to Bohemian Rhapsody and the band's current members touring Down Under, the UK group has been grabbing plenty of attention again in recent years. You could call it a kind of magic. You could say that their songs must go on. Either way, if you're happy to let the British band keep rocking you, then you'll want to catch London's Queen by Candlelight when it debuts in Australia. While Queen tribute nights aren't rare — and neither are ones lit by flickering flames — this is the OG West End production, which features a live rock band and a cast of singers from London busting out the group's famous tracks. Been feeling a crazy little thing called love for Freddie and his bandmates? Then you'll clearly be in the right spot, with Queen by Candlelight playing Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth in February. If your approach to the group's music is "I want it all!", that's what you'll hear. For one night per city, the event will break free so that Queen lovers can celebrate with their fellow champions. The aim: to make you feel like you're hearing the real thing, in venues glowing with candles. In the UK, the gigs — which feature more than 20 Queen tracks — have proven sellouts. Also part of the same tour are Meatloaf by Candlelight shows, busting out the late singer's tunes — if you'd do anything for that. They'll feature the same kind of setup, but with Australia's Simon Gordon, who hits the stage after playing Strat in the Meatloaf-inspired musical Bat Out of Hell on West End and internationally. In all cities, the Queen shows play one night and the Meatloaf gigs run either one or two evenings later. QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT AND MEATLOAF BY CANDLELIGHT 2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Wednesday, February 1 (Queen) and Thursday, February 2 (Meatloaf) — Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane Sunday, February 5 (Queen) and Monday, February 6 (Meatloaf) — Darling Harbour Theatre, Sydney Wednesday, February 8 (Queen) and Thursday, February 9 (Meatloaf) — Royal Theatre, Canberra Monday, February 13 (Queen) and Wednesday, February 15 (Meatloaf) — Melbourne Town Hall and Melbourne Palais, Melbourne Friday, February 17 (Queen) and Saturday, February 18 (Meatloaf) — Festival Theatre, Adelaide Tuesday, February 21 (Queen) and Thursday, February 23 (Meatloaf) — Perth Concert Hall, Perth The Queen and Meatloaf by Candlelight shows are touring Australia in February 2023. For more information and tickets, head to the tour's website.
It's become an all-too familiar sight on the streets of suburban Australia: yellow oBikes, most likely missing a seat or pedal, lying semi-submerged in a canal, slumped against a tree or even, somehow, suspended halfway up it. The dockless bike system, which launched in Sydney in August last year, has suffered setbacks with stolen bikes and council restrictions. But love it or hate it, it looks like we're not about to see them go anytime soon. And if you thought the Singaporean-based juggernaut oBike was content to stop at just bikes, think again. 'oSkate' — a skateboard sharing platform in partnership with global deck brand EMillion — was announced last night during a swanky launch party at Sydney's Ivy Ballroom, with oBike CEO Iocus Finlayson naming Sydney as its primary test city. It will then roll out the new service across Melbourne and Adelaide in the following months. "Ease of mobility lies at the heart of our company" explained Finlayson to a gathering of the city's movers, shakers and social media influencers. "But the feedback we continue to receive is that people want greater variety in the way they get from A to B, and for many the oBike is just too cumbersome or takes up too much space on sidewalks and pedestrian thoroughfares. oSkate not only introduces a smaller, streamlined dynamic to the dockless economy, but we think a cooler one, too". Cooler? The jury's still out, but oSkate does solve a major administrative nightmare for oBike courtesy of Australia's unique mandatory helmet laws. "It's true that under Australian law you do require a helmet for bikes, but not for skateboards" confirmed Allens Linklaters Senior Associate Alex Mason. "Even so, we'd recommend one all the same if you can manage it. Safety should trump convenience, always". The company plans to roll out the first of its decks by June 1 this year, each of which will be fitted with the familiar wheel blocking mechanism that can only be unlocked via the oBike app (which itself will soon be rebranded as 'oMode' to keep in-line with the soon to be expanded transportation options). Finlayson also set out the company's rollout plan for the coming 12 months, some of which was met with more enthusiastic cheers than others. Chief among the popular announcements was 'oBoard' — a surf, boogie and stand-up paddle board service to begin operation next summer — as well as roller skates and rollerblades to supplement the oSkate program. Finally, 'oKick' will be phased in early 2019, offering unlockable running shoes to those eager to burn off a heavy night's drinking without ruining their beloved Louboutins.
With Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola brought everyone's secret desire to the big screen. Who hasn't wished they could roam around Tokyo with Bill Murray, sing karaoke with him, hang out in the ultra luxurious Park Hyatt Tokyo's sky-high bar with him and just generally call upon him for advice? Now, with On the Rocks, the writer/director is giving viewers a new dream. Here, Bill Murray plays a larger-than-life playboy who is still a caring dad, and who moseys around New York helping his daughter discover whether her husband is being unfaithful. Yes, swap cities and exchange Scarlett Johansson for Parks and Recreation's Rashida Jones, and On the Rocks seems to take a few cues from Lost in Translation — but the latter was such a delight, no one is going to mind. Based on the just-dropped first trailer for the Apple TV+ film, however, the mood this time around is a little less melancholy, with On the Rocks serving up a father-daughter comedy about generational differences and complicated modern families. The full setup: Laura (Jones) initially doesn't really think twice when her other half, Dean (Marlon Wayans), suddenly starts working late more often. Soon though — and after her dad Felix's (Murray) not-so-comforting words of wisdom — she begins to wonder if Dean is cheating. That suspicion demands investigating, Felix decides, which sparks an offbeat adventure around NYC, and will also clearly help the pair work through their own complex relationship. Coppola's seventh feature, On the Rocks is also her first since 2017's The Beguiled won her the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival — where she became only the second woman to win the prize. And, it's her latest excuse to team up with Murray, with the pair last working together on 2015 Netflix special A Very Murray Christmas. Also familiar in On the Rocks' trailer: the sounds of Phoenix, who provide the movie's music. The French band have also been involved in Coppola's The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, Somewhere, The Bling Ring and The Beguiled in some shape or form, too — frontman Thomas Mars is Coppola's husband, after all. Check out the trailer for On the Rocks below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn3sK4WiviA&feature=youtu.be&goal=0_745cb9c02a-6077870a17-84180621&mc_cid=6077870a17&mc_eid=30ab429929 On the Rocks hits Apple TV+ in October — we'll update you when a specific release date is announced.
We're almost halfway through 2022 but Brisbane is just getting warmed up. There's a jam-packed schedule still to be enjoyed, from new gallery exhibitions and boundary-pushing immersive art experiences to international sporting events and the return of pandemic-postponed festival celebrations. This year, the Queensland capital will continue to attract world-renowned creators and performers while spotlighting the best local talent, too. The biggest food festivals are still to come — serving up the best of southeast Queensland on a platter — as well as a brand new brew fest that's exclusive to Brisbane. Adrenaline junkie? Football fanatic? Culture vulture? Fervent foodie? Here are nine must-do events happening in Brisbane in 2022.
It's not surprising to hear that the Spanish have a fair that not only runs for six days, but from noon until sunrise the following day as well. Usually celebrated in Seville with flamenco, tapas and lots of Spanish wine, Feria de Abril is this year having its own Melbourne reincarnation at Collingwood's Robert Burns Hotel. In celebration of everything the region has to offer, the Andalucian Party will bring the Spanish summer to Smith Street. The party kicks off at 12.30pm this Sunday, February 16, with fish, cured meats, tapas and Spanish drinks and flamenco flowing all afternoon. The event is free and dishes will range from $5-10 each. Just don't forget your castanets.
Want to sing along to a live version of 'Emergency Contraception Blues' or do your Shuffle dance in a public place rather than in the shower (with lots of jumping involved)? Then here's your chance, because the Bombay Bicycle Club are going to be hanging out in Australia for a little while after playing The Falls Festival and a string of American gigs. It's time to learn their lyrics, perhaps eat a curry (the band named themselves after a curry chain) and practice those Northern Londonder accents ("you riiiiiiigh?"). These guys sure seem like an interesting bunch in their music clips, frolicking around London and revealing a love for moon juice, space jellyfish and antennae growing out of heads, so surely the gig will be a hit. Three of the four in the band have been playing together since they were 15, their last two albums have gone gold in the UK and Triple J seem to like them a lot too. Jack Steadman (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Jamie MacColl (guitar), Ed Nash (bass) and Suren de Saram (drums) make their music a hard one to pin down in terms of classification, but British indie folk, indie rock and twee pop all seem apt. The Paper Kites are going to be supporting them, if for some reason you needed another reason to go. https://youtube.com/watch?v=MgvBmEmtF-I
Nineties kids, Disney fans and everyone who's ever cried over a lion cub that just couldn't wait to be king, it's time to climb onto a rock and yell your lungs out. The circle of life has struck again, and The Lion King is back. It's in live-action form this time around, and the first full trailer for the new movie has just dropped. Releasing in July, the film will once again tell the tale of Simba, who's set to take over the pride from his father Mufasa, only for his malicious uncle Scar to get in the way. You know where it goes from there — and you'll be hearing the voices of Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as his childhood pal Nala, and James Earl Jones as his dad. Yes, the latter is reprising his role from the original film. Other big names attached include Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, John Oliver as Zazu, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa. Elton John is back working on the soundtrack with Tim Rice, as they both did on the first film. They'll reportedly have some help from Beyoncé, naturally, while The Jungle Book's Jon Favreau is in the director's chair for the entire production. If you're anxious about how it might turn out, it's worth taking Timon and Pumbaa's advice at this early stage — although this initial look should help get rid of your worries for the rest of your days. Now, grab the tissues and watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TavVZMewpY The Lion King hits Australian cinemas on July 17, 2019.
Start making Easter plans now: Bluesfest has just announced the first acts on its 2023 lineup. From Thursday, April 6–Monday, April 10, the iconic annual festival will return to Byron Events Farm at Tyagarah for its 34th event — with Elvis Costello, Mavis Staples and Gang of Youths leading the bill. Also heading to northern New South Wales as part of the five-day lineup: Jackson Browne, Tash Sultana, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Jimmy Barnes with The Barnestormers, and Talib Kweli, GZA and Big Freedia as special guests of The Soul Rebels. As usual, Bluesfest's roster of talent spans a hefty array of music genres — blues and roots, obviously, but also soul, rock, hip hop, R&B and more — with Beth Hart, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle and The Dukes, The Cat Empire and Xavier Rudd also set to take to the stage. Rockwiz Live will be doing its thing, too, in the perfect setting. And, would it be a Bluesfest without Michael Franti & Spearhead? In 2023, you won't need to find out. [caption id="attachment_867502" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mavis Staples by Myriam Santos[/caption] In total, 41 acts have been announced so far — with more to come, for what organisers are calling "the first original style Bluesfest since the world's borders re-opened". While the fest went ahead in 2022 after two years of pandemic cancellations (and a thwarted temporary move to October for the same reason), it showcased a primarily Australian and New Zealand lineup. With the return of international travel, Bluesfest can welcome top-notch acts from around the globe again. Season tickets are on sale now, alongside VIP tickets, with prices remaining at 2022 levels for the 2023 fest. Day and three-day tickets will follow in the near future, at a yet-to-be-announced date, along with more lineup announcements, plus news of sideshows and two special satellite Bluesfest events in Melbourne and Perth. BLUESFEST 2023 LINEUP — FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: 19-Twenty The Barnestormers Beth Hart The Black Sorrows Bonnie Raitt Buddy Guy The Cat Empire Chain Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram Elvis Costello & The Imposters Eric Gales Femi Kuti & The Positive Force Gang of Youths Greensky Bluegrass Jackson Brown Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit Joe Bonamassa Joe Camilleri Presents: A Star-Studded Tribute to the Greats of the Blues Jon Stevens Kaleo Keb' Mo' Band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Lachy Doley and The Horns Of Conviction Larkin Poe Lp Lucinda Williams Marcus King Mavis Staple Michael Franti & Spearhead Nikki Hill Robert Glasper Rockwiz Live The Soul Rebels & Friends with Special Guests Talib Kweli, GZA and Big Freedia Southern Avenue Spinifex Gum featuring Marliya Steve Earle & The Duke Tash Sultana Xavier Rudd Bluesfest 2023 will run from Thursday, April 6–Monday, April 10 at Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah. Season passes are on sale now. For further information, head to the Bluesfest website.
Some stories just can't stay away from the screen, and Cinderella is one of them. Filmmakers have been drawn to the fairy tale since the silent era, resulting in beloved animated flicks, playful takes on the tale such as Ever After and Ella Enchanted, and Disney's 2015 live-action adaptation. Arriving next: a new musical that combines glass slippers and pining for a better life with singing, dancing and a fairy godparent named Fab G — with the latter played by Pose's Billy Porter. This version of Cinderella stars singer Camila Cabello as the titular character, while The Craft: Legacy's Nicholas Galitzine plays Prince Robert. Also popping up: Idina Menzel (Frozen II) as Cinders' stepmother, Minnie Driver (Starstruck) and Pierce Brosnan (Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) as the king and queen, and Romesh Ranganathan (Staged) and James Corden (The Prom) as both footmen and mice. The latter is a producer, too, and came up with the idea for the film, while Pitch Perfect writer and Blockers helmer Kay Cannon sits in the director's chair. Clearly, if a new version of Cinderella doesn't hit the screen every few years, Hollywood must turn into a pumpkin. While musical takes on the tale aren't new — see also: the stage version that's about to hit Australia — this one is set to feature pop songs. So, you'll be seeing Cabello, Menzel and company singing tracks you know, as well as crooning their own new original tunes. Just how that'll turn out will be revealed on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, September 3, with the film originally slated for a cinema release, but then snapped up by the streaming platform instead. In the just-dropped first trailer, there's plenty of songs, colour and also humour. "Do you want to go to that ball?" asks Fab G at the end of the clip, to which Cinders replies: "yes, I was just crying and singing about it like two minutes ago". Check out the Cinderella trailer below: Cinderella will be available to stream via Amazon Prime Video from Friday, September 3. Top image: Christopher Raphael
After almost two weeks in lockdown again in a bid to stop another COVID-19 outbreak — including an initial five-day snap lockdown, and a second week to keep cases under control — Victoria emerged from stay-at-home conditions at 11.59pm on Tuesday, July 27. Gone are the five reasons to leave your home, as well as the travel radius — which means that you can now head out of the house whenever you like, for whatever reason you like and to go wherever you like. Still, the list of restrictions can be a bit overwhelming, so we've broken down just what you can and can't do. This information is correct as of Wednesday, July 28. For what reasons am I allowed to leave the house? Remember those five reasons announced back at the beginning of July? They're no longer in effect. So, after almost two weeks of only being able to leave home to purchase groceries and other essentials, for care and caregiving, for permitted work, for outdoor exercise and recreation, and to get vaccinated, you can now leave for any reason you like. For how long can I leave the house? The two-hour limit on time spent out of the home has now been lifted. You may now leave your house for any amount of time — and for any reason — as long as you're abiding by all other restriction. Is there a curfew this time? No, there is no curfew. You are allowed out of your house at any hour — and for any reason and for as much time as you like, too. Do I still have to wear a mask? Yes, masks or face coverings are still compulsory whenever you leave home. Masks must still be worn both indoors and outside whenever you're anywhere other than your own home. And, you must always carry a mask with you, too. How far can I travel? You can travel as far away from your home as you like. Unlike the rules that have followed lockdowns in the past, there's no travel limit in place this time. Of course, the state's border rules, and those of other parts of Australia, may hamper your trip if you're planning on heading interstate. Can I see friends and family? Yes, but there are a few caveats, so bear with us. You can catch up with up to ten people, but only outside of your home. You can exercise with them, have a picnic — socially distanced, of course — or do whatever else you like, but not at anyone's house. Inside your home, the "single social bubble" rule is still in place — allowing a single person living alone or a single parent with children under 18 to nominate one person to be in their bubble. You are allowed to have this nominated person over to your home and you can go to their home. You can also stay overnight. The same rule still applies for intimate partners, too. Can I have a session with a personal trainer in a park? Yes, groups of ten — plus the trainer — are allowed to meet up for personal training and bootcamp sessions. [caption id="attachment_784754" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] Can I have a picnic in a park? Yes, as long as it's with up to ten people (including yourself). Here are some of our favourite spots. Can I go to the beach? Yes, you can only go with up to ten people (including yourself). Can I drive to a park or beach? You most certainly can. Can I go to a pool? Indoor? Yes. Outdoor? Also yes. Up to 100 people may swim in an indoor pool and 300 outdoors, but there's a one person per four-square-metre capacity limit at both. So, you'll want to check out the pool's website before throwing on your togs. Not sure where to head for a splash? Check out some of our favourites. Can I visit a regional town? All of Victoria, including regional areas, are under the same restrictions — so you can travel wherever you like within the state. You can't visit someone's home though, unless they're in your "social bubble" or they're your intimate partner. Can I go shopping? For any reason, yes. But some shops may have altered hours, so check before you head off. How about to a restaurant or cafe? Yes, you can head to a hospitality venue, but capacity and density restrictions are in effect. Only 100 people are allowed indoors per venue and 300 outdoors, with a one person per four-square-metre capacity limit. And, the maximum group size is ten. Can I go to gyms or other recreational services? Yes. Both indoor and outdoor sports and recreation facilities can open with a one person per four-square-metre capacity limit — and a 100-person cap indoors, and a 300-person limit outdoors. How about a movie? Yes, indoor seated venues such as cinemas can reopen — and have up to 100 people per space. If you're interested in heading to a different type or entertainment venue, if they don't have seats, they can reopen with a density requirement of one person per four-square-metres — and the same 100-person cap per space. Can I attend a funeral? Yes, however funerals are limited to 50 mourners, plus those required to conduct the funeral. Can I attend a wedding? Yes, however weddings are limited to 50 people, including the couple and two witnesses. The celebrant and photographer don't count in the cap. If you have more questions, the Victorian Government has an extensive rundown on its website. Top image: Visit Victoria.
For the penultimate day of Good Beer Week 2016, Brooklyn Brewery will team up with Australia's first communal motorbike workshop for an epic afternoon of barbecue and beer. Feast on slow-cooked meats paired with ice cold brews, before taking a tour of Kustom Kommune's Easey Street workshop. Stick around from 3pm for the Brooklyn Block Party, a free event featuring more meat, more booze, and live music until late.
This winter, Aperol is partnering with QT Hotels to host its first Après Ski Club, where you can enjoy a spritz in the city or on the slopes. If you're planning a trip to the Victorian snowfields between Monday, June 14 – Wednesday, September 30, be sure to stop in at QT Falls Creek to kick back and enjoy a post-ski feast and sip on a refreshing Spritz while discussing the adventures of the day on the slopes with your mates at the Après Ski Club. If you can't make it to the slopes this year, head to QT Melbourne from Friday, July 16 till Thursday, August 12 for a wintry experience. Here you can enjoy a Spritz on the rooftop in the Charilift lounge area and soak up Melbourne's spectacular city skyline. On Saturdays from 4-7pm you can score a personalised embossed luggage tag, too. To score one, simply purchase two Aperol Spritzes and an Apertivo board loaded with cheeses, fruit bread, honey and quince and the tag is yours. Aperol Après Ski Club will run from Monday, June 14–Wednesday, September 30 at QT Falls Creek and from Friday, July 16 till Thursday, August 12 at QT Melbourne. For more information, head to the website. Remember to Drinkwise.
Melbourne musical fans, the iconic theatre shows just keep coming — and the next production heading the city's way wants you to take a jump to the left. After already announcing an Australian comeback in 2023, starting with a Sydney premiere season, The Rocky Horror Show has locked in Melbourne dates from late autumn. For half a century now, this hit musical has been astounding. And, with the Richard O'Brien-created production lasting that long, perhaps time really is fleeting. Either way, whenever this sci-fi/horror musical hits the stage — and wherever — a glorious kind of madness takes its toll. In 2023, Melbourne audiences will be able to listen closely — and watch Jason Donovan as Frank N Furter put his hands on his hips, then bring his knees in tight, too — when the famed musical plays the Athenaeum Theatre on its huge 50th-anniversary tour. The Rocky Horror Show's brand-new Aussie run will kick off at Theatre Royal Sydney in February, then open in Melbourne on Thursday, May 18, with other stops and dates afterwards yet to be announced. On offer: the tale that theatre audiences have loved for five decades — and movie-goers as well, thanks to 1975's iconic big-screen release The Rocky Horror Picture Show. For the uninitiated, the story involves college-aged couple Brad Majors and Janet Weiss getting a flat tyre, then wandering over to an old castle to ask for help. That's where they discover an extra-terrestrial mad scientist from the galaxy of Transylvania, plus his staff and his Frankenstein-style experiments — and, yes, doing 'The Time Warp' is essential. As well as Donovan slipping on Frank N Furter's fishnets (fresh from popping back up in Ramsay Street to farewell Neighbours), the new Australian tour will star Myf Warhurst as The Narrator. Also set to feature: Ellis Dolan (School of Rock) as Eddie/Dr Scott, Darcey Eagle (Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical) as Columbia, Ethan Jones (9 to 5 The Musical) as Brad, Deirdre Khoo (Once) as Janet, Loredo Malcolm as Rocky (Hamilton) and Henry Rollo (Jagged Little Pill the Musical) as Riff Raff. Since first premiering in London in June 1973, The Rocky Horror Show has played in more than 30 countries — and over 30 million people have seen songs like 'Science Fiction/Double Feature', 'Dammit, Janet!', 'Sweet Transvestite', 'Over at the Frankenstein Place' and 'Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me'. If you haven't been before, this is your turn to join in. The Rocky Horror Show's 2023 Australian tour will play Melbourne's Athenaeum Theatre from Thursday, May 18, with tickets on sale now via the production's website. Images: Richard Davenport, The Rocky Horror Show UK tour.
Time flies when you're obsessing over a big blockbuster fantasy TV series, as HBO's biggest hit of the past decade demonstrates. This April marks ten years since Game of Thrones first hit screens and became a pop culture phenomenon — broadening the world's awareness of George RR Martin's books, pointing out how often Sean Bean meets an untoward end on-screen and delivering more dragon-fuelled drama than anyone ever knew they needed. Keen to celebrate the occasion like you're in a Westerosi tavern? That's an option, all thanks to a new collaboration between Moon Dog Brewing and Warner Bros Consumer Products. The two have joined forces on a new line of GoT beers, so get ready to sip a Breaker of Chains imperial stout and a Watchers on the Wall imperial white ale. The former features chipotle chilli, vanilla and a chocolate finish, while the latter pairs white chocolate with orange and coriander. Winter might be coming, but these brews will be available this month — so, in autumn — with the Melbourne-based Moon Dog pouring them at its Abbotsford and Preston sites from Friday, April 16. The brewery is hosting a launch party in Abbotsford the day before, then dedicating the weekend of April 16–18 to all things GoT in Preston. An Iron Throne will also be onsite, because clearly Moon Dog couldn't pass up the opportunity to let folks sit on one of the most famous chairs there is. [caption id="attachment_744585" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Moon Dog World, Kate Shanasy[/caption] Lovers of both beer and G0T elsewhere in the country won't miss out on the brews, however, with the two beverages available via the brewery's online store and at craft beer retailers nationwide from Monday, April 19. If you decide to keep some in the fridge so that you can drink it when winter arrives, that's perfectly understandable. And if you're just excited about getting another chance to show your affection for the huge hit series — while you're waiting for the just-announced GOT stage production, and the many TV spinoffs and prequels in the works — that is, too. Moon Dog Brewing's Breaker of Chains and Watchers on the Wall beers will be available from its Melbourne venues from Friday, April 16, and online and in craft beer retailers nationwide from Monday, April 19.
Warm summer days, kicking back with friends, gin and tonics on the go — it doesn't get much better than that. While you don't need to go out to enjoy the classic drink, you'll definitely need all the best ingredients. Enter Ginny Brings: the brainchild of Tanqueray and Jimmy Brings that's arrived to make your at-home hangs even better. You can now order any Tanqueray gin from the Ginny Brings site between midday and 11pm and have it delivered to your door within half an hour. Plus, each order comes with a free Fever-Tree tonic water (some of the best tonic out there) and garnishes to help kit you out for total G&T success. But hold on, your gin mastery doesn't stop there. You may now have quality ingredients at your fingertips, but you still need to know how to make a G&T properly. It's all too easy to end up with an unbalanced drink — even if it seems like it's one of the easiest drink recipes out there. To help you out, we've had a chat with Tanqueray brand ambassador Krystal Hart to uncover a few key tricks of the trade so you can concoct flawless G&Ts at home like a pro. Gather the troops, order your preferred gin and start mixing. Just make sure to brush up on the below tips first for maximum G&T prowess. [caption id="attachment_689394" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Smallbone.[/caption] CHOOSE THE RIGHT GIN With so many gins on the market at the moment, choosing the right one can make your head spin. But really it comes down to personal preference. If you love that big hit of juniper, Tanqueray London Dry could be the winner. After a burst of citrus? Tanqueray No. Ten delivers refined, zesty notes. And if you're looking to shake things up a bit, set your sights on Tanqueray's new Rangpur gin, distilled with Rangpur limes and mandarin, or the sweeter Flor de Sevilla, made with Seville oranges. FIND THE PERFECT TONIC Tonic can affect taste just as much as your choice of gin. Skip the home brand option and opt for something a little more distinctive in terms of purity and flavour. Fever-Tree has a range a tonics, from elderflower to lemon to Mediterranean, that help to highlight the varying botanicals in your gin. Hot tip: pair Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla gin and Fever-Tree aromatic tonic, then add a wedge of orange and sprig of thyme for an afternoon spritz-inspired G&T. [caption id="attachment_689430" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Smallbone.[/caption] CONSIDER YOUR GLASSWARE They say it's what's on the inside that counts, but that rule doesn't apply to your G&T vessel of choice. You wouldn't drink coffee from a wine glass, so don't go pouring quality gin into some second-rate sippy cup. For an aromatic gin like Tanqueray Sevilla, try a stemless wine glass or Bordeaux glass to help accentuate the taste. A good glass is ergonomic, it's classy — it's fashion. KEEP THINGS CHILL No one likes a flat, warm G&T. The best way to avoid this dire outcome is by loading up on the ice. Depending on personal preference, you can roll with one giant cube (classy and restrained) or fill your glass to the brim with standard cubes. The more chilled, the more balanced, the better. [caption id="attachment_700029" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud.[/caption] MAKE IT VISUAL Always garnish. We're not saying it's hard science, but pretty looking drinks just seem to taste better. A classic staple is a piece of citrus and, to up the ante slightly, some fresh herbs to complement the gin's botanicals. But feel free to experiment with the unknown: add a fresh bay leaf, get around blackberries and cucumber or garnish with chilli, lime and coriander for a spicy, savoury alternative. You'll not only end up with some attractive drinks but also some new flavours to tickle your tastebuds. Start exercising your skills this festive season. Just make sure you've got everything you need for a flawless G&T. Look to Ginny Brings to get you sorted with the Tanqueray of your choice (Tanqueray London Dry, Tanqueray No. Ten, Tanqueray Rangpur and Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla) plus free Fever-Tree tonic and garnishes to go with. Looking for more ways to enjoy gin? Check out The Gin List for more ideas.
When March 18 hits, it will have been 12 months since the Australian Government implemented an indefinite ban on international travel due to COVID-19, only allowing Aussies to leave the country in very limited circumstances. Accordingly, just when jetting overseas will be back on the agenda has been the subject of much discussion. Last year's prediction that opening up to the rest of the world wouldn't happen in 2020 proved accurate — and, earlier this year, Australia's ex-Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy (now the Secretary of the Department of Health) said that we might not be going anywhere until 2022. Whether that last forecast comes true is obviously yet to be seen but, thanks to a new extension of the human biosecurity emergency period under the Biosecurity Act 2015, Australians definitely won't be travelling overseas until at least mid-June. Yesterday, Tuesday, March 2, Federal Minister for Health Greg Hunt announced that the emergency period now spans until June 17, 2021, which'll mark 15 months since it was first put in place. The extension comes on the advice of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer, with the former advising "the Australian Government the COVID-19 situation overseas continues to pose an unacceptable public health risk to Australia, including the emergence of more highly transmissible variants". So, it means that the current rules regarding international travel will remain in place for at least another three months, restricting Aussies wanting to fly overseas and folks wanting to return home, and also cruise ships keen to enter Australian territory. It also extends current limits on trade of retail outlets at international airports, and requirements for pre-departure testing and mask-wearing for international flights. This isn't the first time that the emergency period has been lengthened, following several moves in 2020 — however, the government has noted that they "can be amended or repealed if no longer needed". With vaccinations starting to roll out around Australia, Qantas and Jetstar have begun selling tickets for overseas flights for trips scheduled from October, demonstrating hope that the country's international travel rules might ease by then. Of course, the fact that you can book a trip doesn't mean that you'll actually be able to take it — because the current border closure may get extended again — but if you're keen for an overseas getaway, you might want to cross your fingers. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
The Lincoln Hotel is taking a stand against food wastage and giving leftovers a makeover for this special 'Rescued' charity dinner. On both Wednesday 11 and 25 of November, they'll be serving up a clever four-course meal crafted from imperfect produce, along with mystery wines, and beers made from leftover ingredients. With proceeds going to FareShare, each $75 ticket will feed 110 Victorians in need and you might just start to change the way you look at food.
The annual Improv Everywhere mp3 experiment proves we've come a long way since the Napster debacle of the early noughties. Interestingly, the New York-based prank collective started in 2001, around the same time Napster was given a court injunction to stop the distribution of copyrighted music on its network. But the eighth installment of the annual prank has made good use of mp3 downloads, casting aside any former copyright stigmas for the convergence of thousands of people in one picturesque setting. This year's prank took place along New York's Hudson River with over 3,500 participants downloading two types of mp3s, each with instructions that culminated in a mass 'silent disco' at Nelson Rockefeller Park during sundown. The participants of this year's prank began as two groups and were asked to wear two different coloured shirts, representing the theme of two tribes coming together. Once the two groups were instructed to meet at Nelson Rockefeller Park, on-the-spot jumping, indiscriminate high-fives to random passers-by, handshaking, slow dancing and linking of the arms took place. The Improv Everywhere prank collective has orchestrated over 100 pranks since 2001, and are behind the now iconic Frozen Grand Central flashmob which has been viewed by 27,513,992 people since 2008. https://youtube.com/watch?v=lrCnh9sT_mc
Last week saw the 135th and final space shuttle mission end when Atlantis touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. For the past 30 years, the shuttle has been the flagship plane for NASA's sometimes controversial, always captivating space program. The decommissioning of the shuttle will undoubtedly make space travel cheaper and safer for the American government, who will continue their program in 1960s-style manned capsules made in Russia, before taking off in American-built vehicles. Every time the shuttle took off, it cost American taxpayers $1.5 billion. Choosing to either abandon the space shuttle or avoid it entirely, the Soviets and China have progressed by using rockets and capsules for manned spaceflights. For now, the space race is back on. National Geographic has compiled a photographic retrospective to mark the occasion, showcasing the most vivid photographs from the shuttle's colourful history. Here are some of our favourites. A huge crowd—many driving recreational vehicles—gathers to watch the space shuttle Columbia land on July 4, 1982, at Edwards Air Force Base in California at the end of STS-4. Sitting on a rolling platform, the space shuttle Challenger emerges from the mist at Kennedy Space Center in Florida as it heads toward the launch pad, just visible in the distance, in November 1982. Curling like bizarre sigils in the sky, plume remnants from the June 8, 2007, launch of the space shuttle Atlantis glow with the light of the setting sun. Earth seems ready for loading into the space shuttle Endeavour's open payload bay in a picture taken in December 1998 using an onboard IMAX camera. Riding piggyback on a Boeing 747, the test shuttle Enterprise glides over the New York City skyline in June 1983. Astronaut Dale Gardner enjoys a moment of levity as he completes a spacewalk to recover two broken communications satellites from orbit on November 14, 1984. Astronaut Joseph P. Allen IV is seen reflected in Gardner's helmet visor. Star Trek cast members from the science-fiction show attend the shuttle's rollout ceremony in Palmdale, California, on September 17, 1976. Atlantis is lifted high inside the Vehicle Assembly Building on May 18, 2011, so it can be attached to the "stack"—the combination of the large external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters. A cloud of debris spreads in the sky over coastal Florida as the space shuttleChallenger breaks apart on January 28, 1986. A charred astronaut helmet lying in the grass near Norwood, Texas, was among the debris found after the space shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry on February 1, 2003. Suspended above the planet, the space shuttle Endeavour is silhouetted against the layers of Earth's atmosphere in a picture taken by an ISS crew member on February 9, 2010. [Via National Geographic]
Heading the NGV's autumn/winter program this year is a world-premiere exhibition Pierre Bonnard, created in collaboration with famed Parisian museum the Musée d'Orsay. It offers a glimpse into the life and work of acclaimed 20th-century French artist Bonnard through a sprawling collection of pieces on loan from the likes of London's Tate and The Museum of Modern Art in New York, along with other renowned French museums. A close friend of the legendary Henri Matisse, the artist is best known for his stylised decorative works evoking scenes of everyday domestic life. [caption id="attachment_747306" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Coffee (1915), Pierre Bonnard, Tate, London, presented by Sir Michael Sadler through the NACF 1941.[/caption] The exhibition will see Bonnard's recognisable designs brought to life even further, with the help of famed Iranian-Egyptian-French architect and designer India Mahdavi. Mahdavi — who has designed eye-catching spaces like London's Red Valentino store and the famous all-pink Gallery at sketch — will use her signature colour palettes and love of textures to create an immersive, life-size version of one of Bonnard's domestic scenes. Image: The Gallery at sketch designed by India Mahdavi, London, 2014, photo by Thomas Humery.
Guys, we did it. We helped art happen in the face of corporate suckiness. You may remember how last month Lego refused to fulfil Chinese artist and political commentator Ai Weiwei's order for bulk bricks on the grounds that they “cannot approve the use of Legos for political works”. This bizarre and freedom of speech denying move — one that should shock nobody who’s ever stood barefoot on a tiny plastic brick — came just two months before Weiwei's huge blockbuster summer exhibition at Melbourne's National Gallery of Victoria, Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei, which will kick off on December 11. When news broke of Lego's tyrannical response, it wasn’t long before the good people of the internet were offering up their own Legos for Weiwei’s use instead. So what did Weiwei do? He announced that he would be collecting donated Lego in different cities to create the exhibition anyway. A collection point was set up in in the NGV sculpture garden in Melbourne as a repository for the Lego blocks. Donors were encouraged to bring in their Lego blocks and drop them through the sunroof of a car parked in the garden. And it worked. In the wee hours of this morning, Weiwei started posting images of his new artworks to Instagram. The portraits are of activists who fight for human rights and free speech, and so far include privacy activist Edward Snowden and the Republic of The Gambia's opposition treasurer, Amadou Sanneh. A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Nov 19, 2015 at 8:11am PST A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Nov 19, 2015 at 8:26am PST A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Nov 19, 2015 at 8:11am PST We love you Weiwei. Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei comes to the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne from December 11 to April 24, in collaboration with The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh. For info and tickets, head to the NGV website. Words: Imogen Baker and Lauren Vadnjal
