Hear it on the grapevine in the Victoria this November. For one day only, Mickleham's Grapevine Estate is pairing some great drops with a music lineup that'll make your head spin. Irish indie rock band Two Door Cinema Club and Aussie electro duo Flight Facilities are two of the big acts tapped for Grapevine Gathering 2019, the latest shindig from the team behind Hot Dub Wine Machine. They'll be joined on the winery stage by Crooked Colours, Mallrat, Jack River, Touch Sensitive, Late Night Tuff Guy, Kira Puru, Lovebirds and Big Words. It's going to be a big day of tunes, folks. In addition to the tunes, punters will have access to an array of first-rate food options, including gourmet burgers, woodfired pizzas and slow-cooked smoked treats. And that's to say nothing of the drinks list, which will feature craft beers, cocktails and summery beverages. Oh, and a heap of wines, of course. The gates open at midday, and to help make commuting to-and-from Mickleham a little easier, the festival has organised return buses from Federation Square, Ringwood, Frankston and Geelong. You'll just need to add a (slightly pricey) bus pass to your ticket. Pre-sale tickets drop at 6pm on Tuesday, June 11 (you can sign-up for those here) with general tickets going on sale at midday on Wednesday, June 12.
Every music festival has its own distinctive traits and drawcards, no matter who happens to be hitting the stage in any given year. Held on the banks of the Murray River, Strawberry Fields is no different. Fancy escaping into nature to listen to live and electronic acts, wander through art installations and hit up a bush spa? That's all on this fest's bill. Taking place across the weekend of Friday, October 28–Sunday, October 30 in Tocumwal, New South Wales, this year's Strawberry Fields has just unveiled its lineup, and it's full of impressive names. The Pharcyde, Massive Attack founder and DJ Daddy G, Acid Pauli, Moodymann, Barkaa and Jesswar are just some of the talents on the list — and yes, it goes on. Also exciting: being able to soak away your stresses, not that you should have any at a music fest, at the bush spa; the Moroccan Bedouin lounges and tea ceremonies in the festival's Mirage Motel space; and the glamping options, given that you'll want to make a weekend of it. For the fourth event now, Strawberry Fields is also implementing a low-income ticket program, which helps open up the festival to more punters — regardless of income. Applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis, after providing supporting documentation, and receive 50-percent off the standard entry ticket rate. Also, if you happen to be born on this year's festival dates, you can also register to score a free ticket. Happy birthday to you indeed. Strawberry Fields 2022 will also add two new stages — and if you're wondering what's on the arts, workshops and performances lineup, or what food, drink and market stall options will be available, the fest is taking applications for those now, with details to be announced closer to the fest. STRAWBERRY FIELDS 2022 LINEUP: Acid Pauli Ash Lauryn Barkaa Bumpy CINTA Claire Morgan Daddy G (Massive Attack) DJ set DAVI DJ PGZ DJ Python EFFY Egyptian Lover FLEWNT Gioli & Assia Glass Beams Henry Wu Horse Meat Disco IN2STELLAR Janus Rasmussen Jesswar Julian Belbachir Kamaal Williams Kiasmos (DJ set) La La Mella Dee Merve Millú Mindy Meng Wang Moodymann Moontide Ensemble NO ZU Omar S Paramida Pjenné Roy Blues Roy Rosenfeld Roza Terenzi Sassy J Sebastien Leger Soju Gang SQL & Child Tamikrest The Pharcyde Tijuana Cartel Wayne Snow Strawberry Fields takes place at Tocumwal, New South Wales, from Friday, October 28–Sunday, October 30. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday, July 28 — head to the festival website for further details. Images: Duncographic.
It's a time-travelling romantic dramedy shot in the desert on the cheap, but what The Infinite Man lacks in size it makes up for in brains and heart. In that way, the film is a lot like its protagonist: the jumpy, obsessive, hopelessly romantic Dean (Josh McConville). A scientist of non-specific genius, Dean wants desperately to give his girlfriend, Lana (Hannah Marshall), the perfect anniversary weekend. Instead, his controlling behaviour ends up driving her back to her ex (Alex Dimitriades). Not to worry though. Dean can just casually invent a time machine and give the holiday another go. And another. And another. And another. Supported by the same South Australian funding initiative that helped pay for 52 Tuesdays, The Infinite Man is the rare sort of film that feels invigorated, rather than hamstrung, by its obvious financial constraints. Limited to just three cast members and a single, isolated location — an abandoned desert motel — first-time writer-director Hugh Sullivan has very few crutches to fall back on, and is instead forced to draw on a deep well of creativity to ensure his movie is a success. The Infinite Man is showing at Sydney's Dendy Newtown and Melbourne's Cinema Nova from September 18. Thanks to Infinite Releasing, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Read our full review of The Infinite Man here. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au
By 2023, Victoria will finally to introduce a container refund scheme, so you'll be able to swap your tinnies for cash. But that's not the only tactic in the state's war on waste that's due to come in effect over the next few years, with a ban on single-use plastics just announced. The Victorian Government has revealed that 2023 will also mark the end of plastic straws, cutlery, plates and stirrers, as well as polystyrene food and drink containers. Not just limiting the phase-out to items you eat with, it'll also scrap plastic cotton bud sticks. Crucial to the plan is the existence of already-available alternatives — whether they're reusable, in the case of cutlery and plates, or 100-percent compostable, as seen with paper straws and stirrers. Some areas won't be affected, including the use of these single-use plastic items in medical or scientific equipment, emergency services and other activities that require them for health and safety reasons. And, before anything official is put in place, the state will undertake consultation with the community, businesses and various stakeholders, including the aged care sector and people with disability. For the latter group, some alternative products to plastic — such as bamboo, paper and metal straws — aren't always a viable option. From February 2022, the Victorian Government will start by banning the products from its own departments and agencies, a move that's already been started by Melbourne Museum, the NGV, Victoria's TAFEs and Zoos Victoria. As for when the ban will kick in 2023 for cafes, restaurants, bars and other organisations in Victoria, an exact date hasn't been revealed. Obviously, it's hoped that the move will significantly reduce the use of disposable plastics across the state — where the government says each Victorian is responsible for approximately 68 kilograms of plastic waste ending up in landfill every year. "Single-use plastic items — like straws and plastic cups — make up about one third of Victoria's litter. We need to change this, so we're getting rid of them," said Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D'Ambrosio. Similar laws are also coming into effect in South Australia, Queensland is working towards implementing a single-use plastic ban as well and, as a nation, Australia has floated banning all non-recyclable packaging by 2025. And, that's on top of smaller-scale initiatives, not only including bag bans and container schemes, but the phasing out of single-use plastics in various guises at the company level, with Coles, McDonald's, IKEA, Coca-Cola Amatil and Qantas among those making steps in the plastic-free direction. You can read more about the Victoria's single-use plastic ban on the government's website.
Melburnians aren't like most. We don't look at abandoned parking lots or empty blocks of land with despair — instead, we approach them with great anticipation. An empty space is always a potential place to eat. And the latest transformation to join the likes of Welcome to Thornbury and Preston Food Truck Park is no exception. The Ascot Lot is Melbourne's newest food truck park. Previously a deserted car yard, the Mt Alexander Road space has been transformed into a colourful venue for delicious food and ice-cold refreshments. Opening on Friday, October 26 and running for a month, The Ascot Lot will play host to some of Melbourne's most adored food trucks, including Poke Time, Two Fat Indians and Nuoc Mama's. The lineup will change weekly, with dinner and drinks served Friday through Sunday and coffee and jaffles available at the on-site coffee shop every day. In true Melbourne fashion, the bar offerings are epic, with espresso martinis on tap for just $10 a pop and a select range of wines and craft beers available too. If you're there on a Friday night, you'll be serenaded by bands from the comfort of a pastel picnic table. Basically everything at the space has been recycled, from the timber stools to the bricks that form the indoor bar and the cosy booth seating. The Ascot Lot will be open on Fridays from 5pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 11am.
As a customer of Whitemoss, you know you're in some very good company — the Richmond-based florist has created dreamy floral designs for the likes of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Arts Centre, ACMI and more. You can either pop past the Leggo Place studio to browse those blooms in person, or shop the online store to send something special with just a couple of clicks, even adding on extras like Champagne and chocolate to your delivery order. Not sure where to even begin? These guys will help guide you to your ideal gift bouquet with suggested themes like 'pretty and feminine', 'avant garde' and 'unique and textural'.
Go to the movies, visit an exhibition and feel good doing it. Now in its seventh year, the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival will once again shine a light on contemporary human rights issues through a carefully curated line-up of film, art projects and forums. Things kicks off on May 8 with a screening of the Oscar-nominated doco The Square, which was shot on the ground during the Egyptian Revolution. It's one of more than a dozen hard-hitting documentaries on the program, whose subjects range from Brazilian police-officers, Indonesian sulphur miners and women imprisoned for "moral crimes" in Afghanistan. Thankfully, not all the movies at the HRAFF are quite so heavy. More esoteric options include a documentary on breastfeeding and another about sex amongst the elderly (don't act like you're not intrigued). There's also an assortment of short films in both local and international flavours, plus a whole afternoon's worth of animated propaganda. In the arts stream, Vietnam/Australia: Voicing the Unspoken brings together five contemporary artists, whose combined works explore the refugee experience in Australia. Also of note is Ryan Presley's Lesser Gods, an immersive media installation piece that reflects our colonial and indigenous history. Patrons will also be able to engage with the filmmakers and artists directly, through a series of Q&A panel discussions. Acclaimed Australian director Ian Darling will even host a documentary masterclass, for any eager patrons hoping to change the world themselves. The Human Rights Arts and Films Festival will run from May 8-22 at ACMI. For a full program, visit the festival website.
After his recent stint at Dark Mofo, Magic Steven has returned to Melbourne to perform his latest work, No Notes No Glory. Known for his long form beat poetry and deadpan comedic delivery, this "not-comedy" standup show from the Melbourne-based performer will see him work through new stories from his old notebooks. Steven has previously performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the Melbourne Fringe Festival, and we look forward to his offbeat autobiographical tales. No Notes No Glory will take place in Fitzroy’s recently opened performance space/gallery/screening room/larder Grey Gardens, with local band Time For Dreams set to open the show. Tickets are $15, or you can opt for the dinner-and-a-show option for $33.
Stargazers can contemplate the mysteries of the universe at the ultimate astronomy class when the Discover the Night Sky series returns to the Scienceworks' Planetarium on November 7 and 14 from 7pm–10pm. The November series focuses on Indigenous astronomy, and, more specifically, on star stories and research by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Peoples — some of the world's earliest astronomers. The evening begins with a screening of Carriberrie: a short film that uses music and dance to explore connections between people, storytelling and the land. You'll then have a short break — in which to enjoy a complimentary glass of wine and cheese — followed by a presentation under the planetarium dome hosted by accomplished astronomer Dr Duane Hamacher and undergraduate astrophysicist Krystal De Napoli. Both are experts in the field of Indigenous astronomy and will explain ancient knowledge of the night sky. After the presentation, guests will have a chance to stargaze through high-tech telescopes on the Scienceworks Arena.
If you're partial to a serve of crispy fried chook, you don't wait for an occasion to eat it. But the fact of the matter is that that July 6 is International Fried Chicken Day, meaning you have more options than ever to sate that day's chicken cravings. And here's another one that deserves a place on your radar: Vietnamese barbecue joint Co Hanh. The Flinders Lane haunt is getting into the spirit of the global food day by giving away a truckload of free takeaway fried chicken. Be one of the first 100 people through the door when the doors open at 4pm on Saturday, July 6, and you'll nab a six-piece box of sticky glazed wings drenched in Co Hanh's signature sauce. If you miss out the free chicken haul, fear not — the restaurant's also dishing up a couple of finger-lickin' specials for the week leading up. Swing by that week (between July 1 and 6) to try some of Co Hanh's limited edition sticky fried chicken bao and banh mi, both starring cucumber and pickled carrots.
It's easy to get swept up in generic Christmas hubbub. Department stores are playing 'Jingle Bells', stockings need to be stuffed, and sooner or later you find yourself buying a relative socks. No one needs anymore socks. Just stop. Now's your chance to break that pattern and become one of those oh-so-cool gift givers. The ones who remember the hints dropped over the past few months and give a gift so great it elicits forceful high-fives all through the festive season. Give a friend a box set of Breaking Bad. After five seasons, an impressive array of industry accolades, and an unquantifiable number of gasps from its captive global audience, it's safe to say that everyone loves Breaking Bad. The hysteria eventually got so bad that people were forced to develop anti-spoiler apps during its final season; it's now acceptable to work from a blue-meth themed cookbook for your next dinner party. Now, thanks to our friends at Universal and Sony, you can re-gift a friend all that magic for the super appealing price of free. We have 10 collector's edition DVD or Blu-Ray box sets of the entire Breaking Bad collection to give away. Who needs to wait for the Australian release of Netflix? Start your session of post-finale binge-watching right now. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
I was going to begin with a witty little quip that involved red-headed people, their imminent extinction, something about safaris (I haven’t quite ironed out exact details at this stage), but we’re all better than that aren’t we? This isn’t 2009. I’m sorry I almost underestimated you. Outdated jokes aside, let’s get down to business. Bringing their self-titled LP to life, the lovely young men from Jinja Safari will be putting on their performing pants and playing in Melbourne as part of their 16 show nationwide tour, The Bay of Fires. Having spent time sharing their shoulder-shimmying tunes and dreamy vibes all over the world, the Sydney-based band will be wiggling their toes in Australian soil over September and October, grooving out at The Forum for a one night only show on September 27. I said one night only everybody, this is not a drill! The Triple j featured band will be supported by local lovelies Okenyo and Cub Scouts, raising the good times to the power of three. We’re talking about good times cubed here. I’m no mathematician, but that is a lot of funk. Known for their energetic live performances and infectious dance rhythms, you had better start warming up that finger clicking and toe tapping as soon as possible in preparation. Tickets are available for purchase here.
Spring is shaping up to be a seriously dog-friendly affair here in Melbourne and we're not complaining one bit. Next up on the calendar of pup-filled events is a series of Bottomless Drinks 'n' Doggos descending on Ascot Vale's permanent food truck park The Ascot Lot. Running from 2–4pm across three Sundays — August 25, September 1 and September 8 — the dog-friendly session will feature lots of cute fluff balls and endless cocktails. For $45, humans can down endless mimosas, sangria and spritzes, as well as wine, beer and prosecco during the two hours. A fresh lineup of vendors will ensure that there are food options galore, too, and four-legged guests are sure to go barking mad for the free doggy treats. During the event, the Garden Bar will be fenced off, so you don't need to worry about your pup escaping while you're getting a top up. Both humans and doggos are welcome to join in the day's festivities, with bookings essential. Bottomless Drinks 'n' Doggos runs from 2–4pm.
It's the middle of summer, so when creamy, next-level, vegan gelato comes along, you take advantage of it. So you won't want to waste a second when Piccolina Gelateria answers all your plant-based prayers, kicking off a week-long vegan gelato takeover this Thursday, January 10. The cult-favourite gelato masters will be whipping up four limited-edition gelato flavours made with rice milk, as well as a traditional Italian granita, to take over the specials board at its Collingwood, Hawthorn and new St Kilda stores, for one week only. We're talking peanut butter gelato with chocolate cookie crumble, a classic pistachio number, a sweet and sour lemon 'cheesecake' gelato, and a Bacio-flavoured one. The gelateria's regular vegan flavours — dark chocolate, strawberry, passionfruit and lemon — will be available, too. And you'll also be able to try any of the flavours whizzed up in a dairy-free milkshake. Images: Peter Dillon and Carly Ravenhall.
After spending the past few years on the bench, one of Hollywood’s most beloved* actors is finally getting his due. Keanu Reeves has had an incredible career, playing time travelling rock stars, surf-boarding FBI agents and a sunglasses-wearing, post-apocalyptic Jesus. He also starred in that one movie about that bus that had to speed around the city, keeping its speed above 50, and if its speed dropped below 50, it would explode. I think it was called The Bus That Couldn’t Slow Down. This Thursday night, in celebration of Reeves' astounding influence on pop culture, The Astor Theatre is hosting a Keanu Reeves double feature. The night begins with the actor’s most recent outing: the surprisingly not terrible vigilante action flick, John Wick. After that, take the red pill and journey down the rabbit hole, with the genre-defining sci-fi epic The Matrix. Tickets are available at the door for just $13. Whoa. *beloved by us, anyway.
For all its chilling prescience, George Orwell's 1984 made us believe that loving Big Brother would be horrifying. That just like the protagonist Winston, we'd all be dragged kicking and screaming into Room 101 for conversion. Not so. It took some time, but as apps became less and less coy about asking to root through our messages and contacts, we became less wary of them. The rebellion never had a chance. Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan aren't so sure. The pair adapted Orwell's novel for the West End production and are now directing the Australian season at Melbourne's Comedy Theatre this May. 1984, which imagines a world where all citizens are under constant surveillance and the government has a ministry dedicated to fake news, seems to be gaining relevance as it ages. If things keep going Orwell's way, though, it's unlikely you'll get another chance to experience it in a theatre. Or in any form, for that matter. So what'll it be — freedom or happiness?
The new collaboration tees from Japanese retailer Uniqlo and acclaimed American artist Kaws are so coveted that the collection sold out within minutes of its global launch. They also caused some raucous in China, where many (very keen) fans were hoping to get their mitts on the hot-property threads. Now, it's Melbourne's turn, as Uniqlo gets ready to drop Kaws: Summer online and in-store (nationally) on Friday, September 20. The 21-piece collection features t-shirts and totes with Kaws' instantly recognisable characters — and local fans have a chance to get their hands on one of the tees for free, thanks to a pre-launch giveaway. If you fancy adding one of the highly coveted t-shirts to your wardrobe for zero dollars, you'll need to keep an eyeball on Uniqlo's Aussie Instagram Stories to find out where in Melbourne's CBD the giveaway will be going down on Thursday, September 19. The address will be revealed at 7.30am that day, with doors opening from 8am. Only the first 100 punters through them will score a free collaboration t-shirt, though — so don't dilly-dally. DJs will help fuel your morning's shopping adventures, as will a stack of free coffee and doughnuts. The clothing line's Aussie launch coincides with the opening of Kaws: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness at the National Gallery of Victoria on Friday, September 20. The below map is not reflective of the giveaway location.
Despite what its name suggests, St Kilda's Matcha Mylkbar isn't just obsessed with green tea powder. The eatery is fiercely plant-based across all of its offerings — and its middle finger-shaped neon logo pointing towards the McDonald's across the street is proof. Now that a KFC branch has opened next door, the venue is taking its anti-fast food chain stance to the next level by rolling out vegan fried chicken — and it's hoping to be just as convincing as Matcha Mylkbar's famed oozy vegan poached eggs. The 'chicken' is made from organic green jackfruit that's been steeped in a smoky broth, coconut oil and kombu dashi. It's then coated in a not-so-secret ten herb and spice mix —panko, chipotle, cayenne pepper, black pepper, native Australian pepper berries, cumin, lemon zest, crushed garlic, onion and pink salt — and deep fried till golden. https://www.instagram.com/p/BytamA-HvJW/ To celebrate the new feed, the venue is opening for dinner for one night a week, launching Fried Chicken Fridays for a limited time from July 12. The "hipster family feasts" (their words) feature mac 'n' cheese waffles topped with popcorn 'chicken', along with $9 espresso martinis — and that's just the start. Match Mylkbar will also be giving out prizes to those who find a golden nugget hidden in their serve of vegan fried chicken throughout July, August and September. Over-the-top prizes include 52 breakfast vouchers for two, a six-month supply of sweet potato fries and, for one lucky winner, a trip to Japan. Find Matcha Mylkbar at 72A Acland Street, St Kilda. Fried Chicken Fridays will run for a limited time from Friday, July 12. Bookings start at 6.3opm and can be made by emailing eat@matchamylkbar.com.
The hills are alive with the sound of music. Most of it pretty sweary and horribly out of key. From the creators of last year’s comedy fest hit Wolf Creek the Musical comes a brand new profanity-laden movie satire, although for legal reasons they can’t actually say the film’s name. Songs include ‘Maria, You’re A Terrible Nun’ and ‘The Lonely Goatherd’. The latter tune is performed with sock puppets, because of course it is.
Jay Rayner — journalist, prolific food writer, and a man who does apparently not go in for any wanky gastronomy business — will speak at Northcote Town Hall on Wednesday, May 24. Appearing in conjunction with his new book The Ten (Food) Commandments, Rayner will expand the rules crucial to his dining experiences, taking the audience through his own ten commandments. But don't expect any biblical stuff. As the resident food columnist at the UK's Observer, Rayner's done his fair share of eating, savouring and, most importantly, shaking his head at establishments serving a plate of onions for close to $100 — so you can assume he knows what he's talking about. Let him guide you through the food of the 21st century and probably teach you exactly how to pronounce 'acai'. Hopefully he'll expand even further on this scathing review, which was published in The Guardian in April. Image: Levon Biss.
UPDATE, FEBRUARY 12 — 12.44pm: The Victorian Government has now classified all of Terminal 4, Melbourne Airport as a Tier 1 exposure site. Anyone who was at Terminal 4 between 4.45am–2pm on Tuesday, February 9 must isolate immediately, get tested and remain isolated for 14 days. As Melbourne's Holiday Inn COVID-19 cluster continues to grow, with 13 cases linked to the outbreak as of 11pm on Thursday, February 11, more sites continue to be added to the list of exposure sites. Five new locally acquired cases were reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of active cases to 19, with the list of venues visited by a positive case now sitting at 30. One venue added to the exposure site list as of last night is Brunetti, Terminal 4, Melbourne Airport. The airport cafe was visited by a positive case on Tuesday, February 9 between 4.45am–1.15pm — yes, eight hours. This venue is classified as 'Tier 1', which means anyone who visited the venue during the designated times is required to immediately isolate, get a test and remain isolated for 14 days, regardless of the test result. Other exposure sites that have recently been added to the Tier 1 list include Commonwealth Bank, Glen Waverley between 1.30pm and 2.15pm and HSBC Bank, Glen Waverley between 2.15–3.30pm, both on Tuesday, February 9. One location has also been added to the Tier 2 exposure site list. Anyone who visited the Sunbury Shopping Centre between 3.40–4.30pm on Friday, February 5 is required to get tested and isolate until you receive a negative result. https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1359858045526761473 You can find the full list of exposure sites at the Victorian Government Department of Health website. For those looking to get tested, a new drive-thru testing site has opened in Sunbury at the former Masters carpark on the corner of Vineyard Road and McDougall Road. You can find a list of testing sites including regularly updated waiting times here. Victoria had previously been 28 days without any new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, before a hotel quarantine worker at the Grand Hyatt Hotel tested positive to the virus on Wednesday, February 3. Just four days later, a second hotel quarantine worker, this time at the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport also tested positive. For further details on the latest exposure sites and updated public health advice, see the Department of Health and Human Services website.
Prepare to cancel all your Wednesday night plans (laundry and Netflix) because we’ve got something much, much better. The Queen Victoria Markets are back for their 18th season of Summer Night Market tomfoolery. This means that after a day of toiling in the diamond mines or hosiery department (whatever your poison) you can cool off with a free evening of international street food, vintage fashion and handcrafted homewares. And don’t even think about eating at home because they’ve got food vendors to suit every whim including a barbecue pit captained by Burn City Smokers and Bluebonnet. And if a face full of brisket isn’t enough to take the edge off, check out the Little Creatures beer garden for a pot (or jug) of craft beer and some live tunes. There has never been a more appropriate time to exclaim ‘’Yassss Queeeeenn (Victoria)”. QVM Summer Night Market starts on Wednesday, November 4 from 5-10pm and runs every night until March 30, 2016 (excluding December 23 and 30).
Sweet tooths, assemble. Pastry chef Pierre Roelofs and his team of wicked enablers have resurrected their legendary Dessert Evenings, shattering our halfhearted plans for a relatively healthy end to the year like the crust on so many crème brulees. After five yearsat Cafe Rosamond in Fitzroy, Roelofs' dessert extravaganzas have recently made the move to Adriano Zumbo's Fancy Nance in South Yarra. Hosted every second Thursday, diners can expect a four-course degustation — the catch being that all four courses are dessert. The menu is top secret and changes every time. We can tell you that the last one involved mascarpone, strawberry, honey, orange, cardamom and speculaas, plus a deconstructed bread and butter pudding served in a test tube. Roelofs will also be offering a gluten-free option on October 29, and a vegan option on November 26.
2015 brought you a cornucopia of hideous yet good for you root veggies, international restaurant swaps and bargain basement lobster, among other gustatory revelations. So, what's in store for 2016? Well, the restaurant transplants are set to continue with Copenhagen's Noma popping up in Sydney later this month, and not-so aesthetically appealing foodstuffs are sticking around (see: algae). But just when you thought chefs and food technologists couldn't invent anything weirder, they come up with the goods. Then again, with the likes of Bompas and Parr setting up food museums, we shouldn't be surprised. This year is set to deliver a slew of culinary adventures, from cocktails you can inhale to niche food festivals, to more dishes featuring native Australian ingredients. Here are ten trends we've got our money on. [caption id="attachment_555266" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Attica[/caption] NATIVE AUSSIE INGREDIENTS Kylie Kwong's been caramelising wallaby tail and stir-frying native greens for a few years now, while our own Attica offers a dish of salt cured red kangaroo with bunya bunya (pictured). By and large though, Australian chefs have been slow to capitalise on Australia's indigenous produce. That might change when Copenhagen's two Michelin-starred restaurant Noma pops up in Sydney on January 26 for ten weeks. Head chef Rene Redzepi is passionate about expressing an area's unique environment through his cooking, and is sure to use our best native ingredients while he's here. Read more about the incredible potential of native foods over here. [caption id="attachment_555499" align="alignnone" width="1280"] blumblaum via Flickr[/caption] ALGAE Kale's still kicking around, but algae is closing in. In October, an upmarket Californian store put the world's first ever algae cooking oil on its shelves. With scientists warning us off other veggie oils due to their toxicity, this new product promises "goodness to your heart, the kitchen and the planet". Expect it to be added to foods and beverages to reduce fat and cholesterol and add a bit of extra protein and antioxidants. Meanwhile, a design collective has imagined a futuristic opera, in which singers grow algae with their breath during the show and give it to audiences to eat afterwards. But maybe that belongs under theatre trends. [caption id="attachment_555557" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Hunter and Barrel[/caption] PLAYING WITH FIRE Lucky we've been giving you inside info on how to throw an epic barbecue, because your tong-wielding skills are about to come in handy. When electricity arrived, we cast aside one of humankind's oldest technological developments, but, as any dedicated hiker knows, there ain't no potato like a campfire-cooked potato. So expect to see a lot more cooking with fire this year, whether it's at Hunter & Barrel, the new San Antone by Bludso or any of our favourite BBQ joints. Just don't think you can go wandering into any of these bars with your marshmallow on a stick. [caption id="attachment_555568" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Stefano via Flickr[/caption] DNA MATCHING Not as in, would you like a chardonnay or a cup of genes with that salad, but choosing foods that best suit your DNA to avoid unpleasant symptoms and improve your health. Yep, it's a thing. It turns out your wheat intolerance mightn't be just about gluten, it might be linked to a plethora of factors, especially your DNA. Old mates Bompas and Parr are already onto this, having worked on a project that created bespoke cocktails based on your DNA last year. And Dr. Fredric Abramson, founder of Digital Nutrition, is already offering a service that helps you match your diet to your genes. So get on it. [caption id="attachment_555298" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Fir0002 via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] GETTING GOATY With bacon having some copped some bad press for its carcinogenic qualities, goat sales are on the rise. It's profitable news for Aussie farmers, who are the world's biggest exporters of goat meat. Long a staple of Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Sri Lankan, Pakistani and Indian diets, the horned creature will be making its way onto mainstream menus more and more often . In London, Aussie-born chef Brett Graham is already on the bandwagon at The Ledbury. NICHE FOOD FESTIVALS So, it happened before processed meat was added to WHO's top five most cancerous items, but Sydney hosted its biggest ever bacon party in August 2015. And in Melbourne, we had Pinot Palooza, a touring festival devoted to the mighty pinot noir, return for another year, and Juniperlooza answered all our prayers with a two-day festival showcasing the country's best gin. Food festivals have been around for thousands of years, but we reckon they're going to get more and more specific in 2016 — in fact, a festival 100 per cent dedicated to Nutella will be hitting Adelaide in April. [caption id="attachment_555572" align="alignnone" width="960"] Master's 'Roast Potato' by kseet via Instagram[/caption] SWEET AND SAVOURY DESSERTS Everyone knows what a decent dash of salt can do for a good chocolate. And the ebullient marrying of sweet and savoury flavours is likely to feature in desserts all over the planet in 2016. New Yorkers are already sampling beetroot, carrot and sweet potato yoghurts, courtesy of Blue Hill founder Dan Barber, and Sydney's Master is pushing the sweet-savoury envelope with their roast potato ice cream dessert. Here in Melbourne Lume is going down the same lines with their beetroot cake dessert, and Mammoth is confusing everyone's tastebuds with their sugary doughnut lobster burger. INHALABLE COCKTAILS Many of our favourite bars look to the cocktail's 'golden age' for inspiration. And with good reason — an old-fashioned or a martini is hard to beat. But the inhalable incarnation of the cocktail is bringing the drink into the 21st century. This is thanks to Bompas and Parr, who ran a pop-up bar named Alcohol Architecture in London last August. Visitors were invited to walk into a 'cocktail cloud', created with enormous humidifiers. Inspired by the duo, Brisbane Festival got on this last year, creating a breathable gin and tonic room as part of their 2015 program. We can't wait to see where this goes next. LEAVES OF ALL KINDS Your iceberg lettuce just won't cut it anymore. And neither will your cos, rocket or radicchio, for that matter. Your salads are about to get much, much fancier and more diverse. Heston Blumenthal was onto it at 2015's Fat Duck pop-up — he organised exclusive access to a source of local oyster leaves, which he combined with chicken, grilled onion emulsion and spiced celeriac sauce. [caption id="attachment_555270" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Superfood Sushi[/caption] GOING VEGAN Veganism is nothing new, but this year looks like it might be the one to firmly cement it as a full-blown cuisine. Last year, Smith & Deli was one of the biggest openings of the year, and Transformer took vegan dining up to a much fancier level. Over in Sydney, Newtown's King Street added vegan superfood sushi and Bliss 'n' Chips — where soy-based protein and konjac are transmogrified into incredibly convincing deep fried seafood dishes — to its many restaurants, and and then, in news that shocked many, much-loved pizza place Gigi announced it was taking animal products out of its pizzas. All three businesses seem to be thriving, so we're banking on more vegan openings and conversions this year. But for now, here are our top ten vegan joints. Top image: Bompas and Parr
Sinematek is a roving movie night, and it's popping up at Fitzroy North's LongPlay. It'll show a film at the bar every Sunday night in June — and tickets are just $10 a pop. The theme for the month is Winter Darkness, and the four chosen films will all celebrate the archetypal conflicts of one's self and surroundings. And there's certainly some twisted and conflicted flicks on the agenda. It'll kick things off with Jesus Camp by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady: a documentary about children attending a born again Christian 'Kids of Fire' camp. Then, it's Al Pacino in William Friedkin's Cruising, as he goes undercover in the leather gay bar scene to catch a serial killer. Penelope Spheeris's doco about punk groups on the US west coast in the 80s, The Decline of Western Civilization is next, followed by Jessica Hausner's Lourdes, a tale of a wheelchair-bound woman who experiences a miracle in the Pyrenees. Aiming for transcendental cinema, Sinematek will make sure you're feeling even more warm and cosy with LongPlay's winter menu of gnocchi and risotto. Pop in one Sunday for a film, a plate of warmth and a good time.
When it comes to loving a particular film, not all affection is created equal. There's the type of fondness that inspires a fan to tell all their friends about something great that they've seen, and then rewatch it over and over again. Then there's the kind of adoration that becomes a fully fledged obsession. Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) fits the latter bill, but even then her fascination is a little more passionate than most. Joel and Ethan Coen's Fargo is the object of her excessive attention, and she doesn't just fixate over it, she believes it. It's not the bickering hitmen, inept car salesman and determined local sheriff — as anyone who has seen the blackly comic crime classic will be familiar with — that strikes a chord. Instead, it's the briefcase filled with money buried in the Minnesota snow. To understand why she's so intent on thinking the movie is more than fiction is to understand her largely solitary existence in Tokyo. Kumiko is 29 years old and still working as an office lady, a position her boss thinks she should've well and truly outgrown. Her mother only calls to scold her about her dismal personal life, and her only friend is her pet rabbit, Bunzo. So when she happens across a VHS copy of Fargo, embracing its tall tale as truth adds purpose to her days, and trekking across America to find the stack of cash it tells of becomes her destiny. Reality is actually at the heart of Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, though the filmmaking Zellner brothers — writer, director and actor David and co-writer and producer Nathan — aren't just living this fantasy themselves. They're delving into an urban legend that sprang up around the death of a Japanese woman in the US, which was first chronicled in 2003 documentary This Is a True Story. Indeed, those exact words are the first seen in Fargo itself, sparking reports at the time that it was based on real-life circumstances. Keeping that in mind, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter makes its own fable out of diving into the strangeness that can stem from both truth and fiction, as well as the tenuous relationship between the two. The basis for its premise aside, the film also offers an offbeat look at isolation, and the lengths someone will go to in order to escape into a dream rather than face their reality. There's no mistaking the magical realism at work in the Zellners' approach, as their gorgeous icy frames make Kumiko's quest seem larger than life, and the atmospheric score by The Octopus Project proves both haunting and hopeful. There's no avoiding the questions it raises about the protagonist's fragile, lonely state, either. Kikuchi plays the titular character with perfection, her performance as slow in building as the movie itself, but also as beguiling the longer she's on screen. It's one of quirks and details adding up to something you can't look away from, even if you're simultaneously enthralled and frustrated. That's the reaction Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter elicits: whole-hearted intrigue in its ideas, and traces of exasperation in its meandering. Well, that, and making you want to rewatch Fargo as soon as possible — and as long as you don't book a plane ticket to America to search for the briefcase yourself, that's not a bad thing.
The Australian Ballet is bringing its production of The Nutcracker to town this month, but it's not the only one getting into the spirit of the tale's famed fictional Land of Sweets. Much-loved gelato joint Piccolina has pulled inspiration from the classic story to whip up three limited-edition flavours, available all through The Nutcracker's local run. And you'll be able to try them for free. On offer at Piccolina's Collingwood store from September 17–28, you'll find the Sugar Plum Fairy, featuring rich crema gelato with plum and raspberry coulis and a silver leaf crown; a spiced apple and gingerbread fusion dubbed Clara and the Nutcracker; and The Land of Sweets, blending white chocolate gelato with strawberry boba, torched meringue and white chocolate-covered freeze-dried strawberries. What's more, you can try them out on the house on Friday, September 13, ahead of the show's launch. The Collingwood store will be dishing up free scoops of all three flavours for one hour, from 6.30–7.30pm. If you can't get to Collingwood, the Land of Sweets will also be available as a choc top, which you can grab from the Arts Centre Melbourne's State Theatre while the production's on. Images: Kate Longley.
No matter what cuisine rules your annual Christmas feast, we bet it'll work a treat with a sweet Italian finish. Especially one that comes courtesy of Piccolina Gelateria. The local frozen treats expert has unveiled a new creation just in time for the festive season: an indulgent panettone con gelato. The new limited-edition treat is the ultimate mash-up of two traditional Italian desserts, teaming a handmade Christmas panettone with plenty of Piccolina's signature gelato. For the uninitiated, panettone is classically crafted on a sweet, buttery dough spiked with spices, sultanas and candied fruit peel. And it's certainly a labour of love, usually taking around three days to make if you're doing it properly. [caption id="attachment_753962" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Allen[/caption] Piccolina's chefs are whipping up two varieties of the gelato cake, each of which is big enough to feed 12–14 people. There's the Nutella version, featuring handmade panettone stuffed with Piccolina's Better than Nutella gelato, coated in a roasted hazelnut and dark chocolate glaze, and crowned with a hazelnut truffle. Or, you might fancy the vanilla number, which is filled with classic vanilla gelato, slathered in white chocolate, and bedazzled with candied orange, gold pearl crisps and a golden cherry topper. They're preservative-free and are bound to look pretty darn fabulous on your Christmas table. [caption id="attachment_753950" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Allen[/caption] Clocking in at $85, each share-friendly cake comes hand-wrapped in a special edition canvas bag and finished with festive red ribbon. Piccolina's panettone con gelato can be pre-ordered via the website, otherwise a limited number are now available to buy in-store at Piccolina Collingwood, Hawthorn and St Kilda. Images: Tim Allen
Melbourne's inner north suburb of Coburg is set to score a shiny new addition, with Intercontinental Hotel Group revealing plans to open a Holiday Inn design hotel on Sydney Road. Slated to be up and running by 2020, the 150-room hotel will be a huge win for a pocket of Melbourne that's not exactly brimming with great accommodation options. It'll boast sweeping views across town and the Coburg Lake Reserve, while a new onsite bar and all-day dining offering is sure to prove as popular with locals as with the guests. As for looks, this hotel's steering right away from the usual Holiday Inn vibe. The bold, mirrored glass design is the work of acclaimed architects Hachem, whose previous projects include the likes of Om Nom dessert bar and the newly revamped Baroq House. Find Holiday Inn Melbourne Coburg on Sydney Road from 2020, and keep an eye on the Intercontinental Hotel Group website for further details.
Pack your suitcases, don your best 30s-style outfit and keep an eye out for that lobby boy — it's time to check into Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel. That's where Underground Cinema is taking viewers to finish out its 2019 season, recreating the glitz, glamour and hijinks of the beloved 2014 movie. Here's hoping that Mendl's chocolates will be on the menu. Known for its immersive screenings (complete with live recreations and plenty of audience participation), Underground Cinema is going all out for this special event, taking over The Hotel Windsor on Spring Street. Nab a ticket for Friday, November 22, Saturday, November 23 or Sunday, November 24, and you won't just watch the flick starring Ralph Fiennes, Jeff Goldblum, Saoirse Ronan and Tilda Swinton — you'll feel like you've stepped inside it. Running over more than four hours each night, this suave soiree will serve up a light grazing menu, all the fun and frenzy of the famous fictional hotel presided over by the fastidious M.Gustave, a session of the film, and — for an extra price — a heap of stiff drinks. Tickets cost $89.95, or $110 if you're keen on a one-on-one experience — although just what the entails hasn't been revealed. And, like all of Underground Cinema's incredibly popular events, getting in quickly in recommended. UPDATE, OCTOBER 20: Underground Cinema's first two The Grand Budapest Hotel sessions sold out quickly; however an extra screening has been announced, taking place at 6.30pm on Sunday, November 24. This article has been updated to reflect the new date — and tickets will go on sale at 1pm on Monday, October 21.
Fashion runways usually feature models of the leggy variety, but don't expect to see any of those at the NGV's Kids Summer Festival fashion parade, which instead will star a drove of tiny-legged dapperly dressed dachshunds. Taking over the NGV's Great Hall on Australia Day, this pup parade will conclude the annual, 11-day festival of kid-friendly fun. Although 'technically' for 'kids', anyone can head along to see the four-legged fashionistas show off their threads for free. Take a little one along and let them run wild in the gallery afterwards — they can unleash their own creativity by crafting dog-inspired 3D paper designs under the guidance of illustrator Alice Oehr and artist group Soft Stories. The whole dog thing is a homage to three dog-lovers being celebrated in NGV's hottest summer exhibitions — David Hockney (Current), and design duo Viktor & Rolf (Fashion Artists). The rest of the Kids Summer Festival program is chock-full of legitimately awesome free events — think magic performances, kids yoga, dance classes and a swag of creative workshops hosted by local artists. Images: Wayne Taylor.
With the fifth and final season of the much loved cult series Broad City on its way, Melburnians are getting a very special surprise when co-creator and yas queen Ilana Glazer heads to Melbourne's Hamer Hall for a one-hour stand-up gig on Saturday, June 9. If you've already left this page to book, we understand. Glazer's hilarious portrayal of Ilana Wexler on Broad City has launched her and co-star Abbi Jacobson into comedic fame since the show first aired back in 2014. Since then, you may have also have seen her alongside Scarlett Johansson and Demi Moore in Rough Night, as well as recognised her voice in the Netflix animated series BoJac Horseman. Most recently, Glazer has been busy on an 11-city comedy tour with comedian Phoebe Robinson, who hosts the podcast Sooo Many White Guys (also produced by Glazer). This means her stand-up act will be well primed for this one-off Australian gig. Presented by the Arts Centre Melbourne and Penny Drop, Glazer is the headline act of MEL&NYC, a new winter program of multi-disciplinary events that showcase the influence that New York City has on the Melbourne arts and culture scene. The program will take over the city's best cultural venues from June through August and see leading New Yorkers and Australians share their everyday experiences in a series of conversations, music, performances, educational talks and community outreach events. Other gigs include shows by Regina Spektor and Exo-Tech featuring Kimbra and Sophia Brousa, plus a live-to-film performance of West Side Story and a John Cameron Mitchell musical performance.
Technology has changed the way we travel, and as the world gets smaller it's becoming an increasingly complex place to navigate. Where once we relied on the endorsements of friends and family to help shape our plans, we now treat the opinions of total strangers on TripAdvisor, Expedia and Stayz as gospel. As Lonely Planet roll out their trusty guide books in every digital format imaginable, niche publishers like Wallpaper and le cool are getting in on the act by creating city guides for people seeking experiences that complement their new Paul Smith socks. And what's more, social networking sites Facebook, Path and Google+, paired with photography apps like Instagram and Hipstamatic, let us share things as they happen and make us look like we actually know how to use our SLRs. But what generally lies at the heart of a traveller's wishlist is not the desire to micromanage every detail of their holiday, but to witness something truly beautiful. What these new technologies provide us with is rapid access to the places and people that capture the imagination. Here are 21 locations from around the world that do just that. Mount Roraima, Venezuela Wineglass Bay, Tasmania Multnomah Falls, Oregon, USA Preikestolen, Norway Paterswoldsemeer, Netherlands Blue Caves, Zakynthos, Greece Petra, Jordan Huangshan, China Skaftafell, Iceland Ebenalp, Switzerland Kawasan Falls, Philippines Anse Lazio, Seychelles Yi Peng Festival, Thailand Sagano Bamboo Forest, Japan Santorini, Greece Bora Bora, French Polynesia Moraine Lake, Alberta, Canada Soufriere, St Lucia Capilano Suspension Bridge, British Columbia, Canada Siminopetra, Greece Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Iceland [Images via Coolhunter]
If you're a fan of the British version of The Office, you'll know what we mean when we say David Brent: Life on the Road is almost unwatchable, but still worth a watch. This big-screen sorta-sequel follows Brent (Ricky Gervais) around as he gives his music career one last shot. Set a dozen years after The Office, Brent is now a sanitary products sales rep who invests a huge amount of his pension money in touring himself, his session band and his incongruous (but very much appreciated) young rapper friend Dom (Ben Bailey Smith) around on a self-made tour of Slough and the surrounding counties. The resulting 95 minutes rapidly deteriorate into an awkward hellscape puppeteered by Gervais' masochistic desire to make the audience squirm. While it's no Oscar winner, fans of The Office, and Gervais in general, will still find plenty to enjoy. Whereas the OG David Brent was built on classic British humour, modern day Brent is a more international flavour and slightly more palatable for it. Some of the gags are far too obvious, most of the ancillary characters might as well be cardboard cut outs with looks of disgust on their faces, and the narrative is just a series of exponentially embarrassing moments. In truth, the superficiality of the narrative is almost a relief, since Brent definitely doesn't have enough depth as a character to carry the plot for the length of an entire feature. True to form, the most excruciating moments aren't Brent's absurd stage antics or his terrible music (including such hits as "Please Don't Make Fun of the Disableds" and "Lonely Cowboy"). Nor are they his creepy and frequently offensive attempts to hit on women, or the ratty little grin that's constantly smeared on his chubby face. Instead, it's the brief but devastating moments when Brent pulls the cartoon mask up and becomes a vulnerable man with no friends. The shots of his tiny apartment, his failed attempts to mingle, the cheesy outfits of which he's so proud and his desperate need to be liked are so real. Too real. The tender heart at the centre of so much bluff is what makes the franchise continue to work. Some of the more depressing elements that defined The Office have been spruced up for the big screen. Gone are the halogen lights, wobbly camera angles and general low-budget vibes. Instead we're served great production to smother the stink of desperation – and honestly, it's a better film for it. Like the series before it, Life on the Road isn't for everyone, but has enough weirdness and insight to age into a cult favourite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2THODznVOt8
Among the many challenges that Australians have faced over the past year, our love of travel has been hit hard. Domestic border restrictions keep changing with frequency in response to new cases and clusters in different states, meaning that planning a holiday beyond your own city has been more than a little tricky. This was particularly true over Christmas and NYE, when an outbreak on Sydney's northern beaches saw many states quickly shut their borders to NSW — including Victoria. On January 1, 2021, Victoria closed its borders to all of NSW. Since then, it has reopened to regional NSW and all but ten Greater Sydney LGAs. From 6pm tonight, Friday, January 22, it's reopening to a further nine Greater Sydney LGAs — which means, only Cumberland will remain a 'red zone'. As part of Victoria's traffic light-style system, travellers from an 'orange zone' — which, from tonight, will include all of Greater Sydney (but Cumberland), Wollongong and the Blue Mountains — can enter Victoria, but they'll need to isolate on arrival and get tested within 72 hours, then when they receive a negative result they're free to leave isolation. They also have to apply for a permit before entry, too — like all Australians. Last week, Victoria introduced compulsory permits for anyone who wants to enter the state. If you try and enter Victoria without a valid permit, you risk being fined $4957. You can apply for one over here. Travellers who have been in the Cumberland LGA in the past 14 days, which is still a 'red zone', cannot enter Victoria. Folks who've been in a 'red zone' can apply to receive an exemption or a specified worker permit. The former covers instances such as emergency relocations, funerals, essential medical care, and people needing to return home for health, wellbeing, care or compassionate reasons. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1348469170472509440 From 6pm tonight, the rest of regional NSW (apart from the aforementioned orange zones) and Greater Brisbane will also be redesignated as 'green zones'. Travellers entering Victoria from a 'green zone' still need to apply for a permit, but do not need to get tested or isolate on arrival, unless they develop symptoms. The loosened border restrictions come as Victoria records its 16th consecutive day of zero new cases of community transmission. Overnight, the state did record one new cases in hotel quarantine. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1352361271946059788 As result of this long run of doughnut days, Premier Daniel Andrews has also announced that from 11.59pm tonight, Friday, January 22, Victoria will revert back to pre-NYE gathering restrictions, which means you are allowed up to 30 visitors at your home, double the current limit of 15. For more information on Victoria's new permit system — or to apply for one — head to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
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.
There's no meal that can't be improved by dessert — yes, even breakfast — and no special occasion, either. That's all in Gelato Messina's wheelhouse, and it's mighty fond of releasing specials to make holidays even tastier. The latest example: the chain's Easter offering, which brings back its popular 2021 snack pack. Even better: if you've always wanted to smash open a Messina Easter egg, that's on the menu as well. Your tastebuds might already remember Messina's hot cross bun version of the brand's sticky snails — and they can savour it again this year. Basically, it's the brand's interpretation of a Cinnabon-style scroll, then combined with an Easter favourite. It's another of Messina's limited releases, and it'll be available at all of its stores for a very short period. Wondering what exactly Messina's hot cross bun sticky snail entails? Well, that spiced sticky hot cross bun dough is filled with choc chips and vanilla custard. Crucially, raisins aren't included — but it is topped with a cinnamon malt caramel. The sweet bake-at-home bite to eat can only be ordered online on Monday, April 4. It will set you back $65, which includes a one-litre tub of the brand's triple choc gelato hot tub, too — which features milk chocolate gelato, toasted white chocolate mousse and Ecuadorian dark chocolate crack. Or, also available at the same time — and for the same price — is the Messina Easter egg. Made from 44-percent single-origin cocoa couverture chocolate, the 420-gram egg comes filled with even more sweet treats. Crack it open and you'll find white and milk chocolate chickens, white chocolate and passionfruit gel fried eggs, caramelised white chocolate and waffle cone mini eggs, and milk chocolate hot cross bun bites. Messina now opens its orders at different times for different places, so you'll want to hop online at 9am for Queensland and Australian Capital Territory stores, 9.30am for Victorian shops, and at either 10am, 10.30am or 11am depending on where you are in New South Wales. Once you've placed your preorder, pick up will be available between Thursday, April 14–Sunday, April 17 from your chosen Messina location. And, after you've got the hot cross bun sticky snail safely home, you just need to whack it in the oven for 20–25 minutes at 160 degrees and voila. Gelato Messina's Easter snack packs and Easter eggs are available to order from Monday, April 4, for pick up between Thursday, April 14–Sunday, April 17 — head to the Messina website for further details.
Do you have piercings? How about tattoos? How about incredible body modification? Whether you have already permanently decorated your body, or you're just interested in other peoples', you should swing by the Melbourne Tattoo & Body Art Expo. It will be an chance to see the amazing artworks that people have had themselves turned into, and to be immersed in a world of ink and flesh that is becoming increasingly more common. There will be a tattoo contest each day, fashion parades, and exhibitions from groups such as Trash Dolls. You'll have a chance to see Corey Miller, who recently featured on tattoo TV show LA Ink, and who is known for freehand drawing. Artists will be doing tattoos on the day but it's advised that you make appointments in advance. Image by David Davis.
We normally associate Boxing Day releases with feelgoodery, dogoodery, comedy and special effects. Which is why it seems sort of hilarious when a film like Short Term 12 pops up at that time of the holiday season, determined to make its quiet realism heard. The SXSW Film Festival winner was number one on Buzzfeed's list of 'movies you probably missed in 2013 but definitely need to see', so if you get in quick, you can make it the no.1 movie you outsmarted Buzzfeed on instead. Short Term 12 is the kind of film that feels like a well-edited version of real life — though probably not a life that is familiar to you, if you grew up in safe, loving circumstances. Compulsively watchable and super emotional, it revolves around the kids and their barely adult supervisors at a temporary foster care facility. The plot is nebulous, but the anchor is social worker Grace, played by Brie Larson, who you probably remember from United States of Tara and who puts in an incredible, name-making performance here. Excellent at her job and in an adorable, supportive relationship with fellow supervisor Mason (John Gallagher Jr), Grace has her own childhood trauma that she's overcome (or at least repressed). But when a new girl, Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever), arrives at Short Term 12, she poses fresh challenges — particularly for Grace, who sees something of herself in the girl. Whether she'll be able to help Jayden, and herself, when the fog of emotion catches up to her is not a given. Short Term 12 is deeply funny, heartbreaking and brave, exploring some taboo topics sensitively without once being sensationalist. Perhaps most impressive is the way writer and director Destin Cretton is able to leap tall towers of everyday humour and humanity and then suddenly drop you into a pit of total, gut-wrenching sadness in a single bound. It's never overwrought; his execution is swift and precise, and he lifts you right out again. Often, it's through the kids' artistic expressions that their pain is most clear; a rap that guarded Marcus (Keith Stanfield) practices with Mason is wholly shattering, and Jayden, an avid drawer, has created a picture book that is not easy reading. The supervisors' calm, understanding reactions to all the crazy things that happen at the centre every day are a fascinating lesson in themselves. Short Term 12 is ultimately hopeful and bittersweet. It's not all hobbits and light, but to watch Short Term 12 is to be exposed to repeated acts of compassion. And practice, they say, makes perfect. Perhaps that's why Short Term 12 is on the Boxing Day release list: it might help guide you into a kinder New Year. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rETaWDZ57v0
Julie Delpy has a particular writing style. You might call it The Hangover for the high brow. It's full of cursing and smoking weed and laughing at words that sound like 'cunnilingus', and getting caught in webs of awkwardness after you tell your uptight neighbour to stop riding you because you're dying of cancer when you're not. And yet her audience is more Dendy than Hoyts. Teen boys don't aspire to live out Delpy scenes at schoolies. 2 Days in New York finds her character, Marion, broken up with her 2 Days in Paris boyfriend, Jack, not long after the birth of their son. Because that's the kind of thing that happens under Delpy's watch: not all relationships are forever. And figuring out this commitment thing is part of the story here. Her relationship with her new de facto, Mingus (Chris Rock), is about to be tested as Marion's family comes for a visit from Paris. The couple, who met while working at the Village Voice, have their typically NY neuroses stretched beyond cute. Marion's rotund father, Jeannot (Albert Delpy, Julie Delpy's real life dad), has tried to smuggle in several sausages upon his person; her sister, Rose (Alexia Landeau), has no affinity with American puritanism; and her sister's boyfriend, Manu (Alexandre Nahon), thinks Mingus will be cool with him doing a drug deal in the flat because he's black. Delpy's mother, Marie Pillet, who was a delight as Marion's mother Anna in 2 Days in Paris, has since died, and in 2 days in New York, as in life, her daughter is still trying to accept her death. Some people find the Delpy aesthetic grating and as thin as the gross-out comedies alluded to earlier. And while it may be true that this film is 'about nothing' and sometimes blithely scrappy, it's also blinkered to think that Delpy's quirks don't matter. Quirks isn't even the right word, attached as it currently is to a whimsy and cutesiness that bear no relation to the 2 Days In universe. She somehow gets to make un-Hollywood films that reach a large-ish audience, and that's an incredibly refreshing thing to see. Because apart from bawdy and untraditional, funny and generous, the other thing Two Days in Paris is, is internationalist. In Delpy's world, main characters don't all come from the same country, speak the same language, or share the same culture. Their differences may be the engine of humour, but everyone is shown respect and understanding that goes beyond stereotype. The set-up is a reality many people live but somehow rarely see on screen. There's one very telling early scene: Mingus takes Marion's father, who speaks no English unless it's to say something inappropriate, to his regular Thai massage centre to help him loosen up after the trans-Atlantic flight. We all sink down in our seats, but the worst does not happen. Far from it. Mingus emerges after his massage to see Jeannot sharing a cup of tea with the owners, with whom he has been conversing in scraps of Vietnamese. It turns out the owners are actually from Saigon, a city in which Jeannot also spent his childhood. The man might not understand Americans, but his experience has given him a worldliness that is beautifully acknowledged. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Q1HDAOlPDzA
Good Food Month's 2021 comeback edition got a little sidetracked due to Melbourne's latest COVID-19 outbreak (thanks again, COVID). But now, with the snap lockdown done and dusted, it's kicking on to deliver a few tasty weeks of lunch feasts, chef-led dinners, wine-fuelled parties and more. The perfect post-lockdown treat for food-lovers, really, and an excellent way to give some love to Victoria's hospitality scene. Expect edible cocktails at a low-waste tiki party, indulge in a Turkish long lunch at Yagiz, or celebrate the return of Rocco's Bologna Discoteca with an evening of meatball subs and Italian wines. Here's our pick of all the Good Food Month 2021 events that promise to warm up your winter. Spots are limited, so book in now for a top-notch feed and leave the memory of lockdown cooking far behind you.
It took more than 25 years for Twin Peaks to revisit its moody, otherworldly and all-round odd small-town mysteries — and if you're not done diving into the television show's wonderful and strange world just yet, don't stress. Whether there'll be any more episodes is anyone's guess, but you can spend an evening with the show's stars in the interim, with five of the series cast members heading to Australia later this year. Although David Lynch famously refuses to talk in-depth about any of his work, including Twin Peaks' three seasons to date and the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, expect Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer), Kimmy Robertson (Lucy Moran), Michael Horse (Deputy Hawk), Al Strobel (Philip Gerard) and Dana Ashbrook (Bobby Briggs) to be much more forthcoming as they chat about their experiences both on- and off-screen. In fact, maybe Lynch will be too — while he won't be there in person, he'll be Skyping in to answer questions live. On Saturday, August 25 at Melbourne's Palais Theatre, Lee, Robertson, Horse, Strobel, Ashbrook and the via-video Lynch will be joining forces with Twin Peaks producer Sabrina S. Sutherland for a 'Conversation with the Stars' discussions. If you've ever wondered what it was like to be wrapped in plastic, or to line up piles and piles of doughnuts, or to play the other half of the series' evil entity, here's your chance to find out. While Twin Peaks' lead Kyle MacLachlan won't be making the trip, the lineup is still a Peaks-lover's dream come true. Lee played Laura Palmer, the teen sweetheart whose murder sparked the whole series, while Ashbrook swaggered through highs-chool hallways as her boyfriend Bobby Briggs, and then turned unlikely cop in the latest season. Robertson is best known as bubbly police station receptionist Lucy, and Horse played the enigmatic Deputy Hawk — and had one of the most recent series' most moving scenes. As for Strobel's Phil Gerard, he was pals with Bob before becoming a resident of the Black Lodge. If all of the above gets you thinking about damn fine coffee and the Double R Diner's cherry pie, then you'll be keen to nab tickets to the intimate chat, which is in town for one night only. No word yet if the cast members will be sitting in front of red curtains or being interviewed by someone called Diane, but we can only hope. And if you're an absolute die-hard Peaks fan with some spare cash (around $500 in spare cash), meet-and-greet tickets are also available. Updated August 5.
Scienceworks is probably number one on your list if you want to discover things, with it being chockablock full of cool facts and interactive displays about science, technology, health and just general stuff. The museum is also hosting its AstroLight Festival this Saturday, September 8, which is perfect for everyone from wannabe astronomers to those who just really like Star Wars. Throughout the evening, scientists, astronomers and artists will present talks, performances and hands-on activities in every nook and cranny of the museum and its grounds. Learn about how Australia's First Nations people incorporate the night sky into their storytelling traditions from Kamilaroi woman Krystal De Napoli, take an astronomy photography class for beginners or sink into one of the Planetarium's comfy seats for an immersive space show. Of course, there will also be stargazing if the weather is good. Plus, a bar, cafe and food trucks will cater your night sky discovery journey.
Last year, Jim Beam once again proved its love and support for live music via its hit series Welcome Sessions. The online event series was aimed at bringing people together, albeit virtually, by connecting music lovers and artists when they needed it most. It's returned for 2022, only this time it has stepped outside of the digital realm. Melbourne music fans, listen up. You have the opportunity to score a free ticket to an exclusive and intimate show from Brisbane's favourite twins (and bonafide pop sensations) The Veronicas on Saturday, August 20, at The Hop Bar at Beer DeLuxe in Federation Square. As far as we're concerned, getting your groove on to this iconic duo with friends — with a Jim Beam in hand — is a recipe for a great Saturday arvo. Want to head along to this money-can't-buy experience? You'll need to enter the ballot. Simply enter the competition and you'll go in the running to win one of 75 double passes up for grabs. All you have to do is tell Jim Beam what your most memorable live music moment is and why. But be quick, entries close August 12. Want to learn more? Visit the website.
You might think that there's not much exciting about a fridge magnet. I mean, who is really thrilled by a piece of plastic that announces "I Love NYC" or is shaped like your pet dog? The designers at Kudu saw artistic potential in the common fridge magnet, however. They pushed the design of the magnet one step (or, rather, a few metres) farther and created magnetic panels to cover your entire refrigerator. Kudu's fridge panels create a bold kitchen statement, an easy way to spice up an otherwise lack-luster space. And the best part? They're simple to remove or to switch out. Swap your fridge panels to fit a party theme, a holiday, or perhaps your mood. Choose from a collection of themes, spanning from animals, to a sexy shirtless man, to designer illustrations; then, simply measure your fridge and order online. Kudu is willing to help you measure your fridge, and will even custom design a panel for you or your business, upon request. [via Notcot]
In the wacky family comedies you usually see at this time of year, everyone will come to accept the quirks and legacies of their kinfolk. They'll acknowledge that even a wacky family is better than no family, probably while laughing around a Christmas ham with all the trimmings. August: Osage County is not that movie. It started life as a play — in fact, probably the best play I have ever seen. Sydney was lucky enough to receive a visit from its original production company Steppenwolf in 2010, giving Australian audiences a chance to join the cacophony of praise already coming from the Tony Awards committee, Pulitzers, American critics and Broadway-goers. But what was amazing about the show seemed quite theatre-specific. At nearly four hours long and set across a three-storey, bisected house, Osage County feels momentous. And more than that, it relies entirely on the crackling chemistry of its taut ensemble, a feat that seems magical on stage but prosaic on screen, where you know it's the product of take after take, plus editing. Sure enough, the new film — adapted by its own playwright, Tracy Letts, and starring a cast so heavyweight as to tip the scale into ridonkulous — is good, but it's not quite great. The tone is spot on: it's dark comedy infused with the Southern Gothic. You will laugh, but you'll probably feel evil about it. The family in question is the Westons, who are all drawn back into their childhood home miles from any significant town in Oklahoma. It's not the festive season; rather, the family patriarch, Beverly (Sam Shepard), has disappeared without warning or explanation, leaving his abrasive, abusive, cancer-inflicted and pill-addicted wife, Violet (Meryl Streep), alone with only the new carer, Johnna (Misty Upham). Violet's children understandably have mixed feelings towards her, but they're also dragging their new problems into the house. Barbara (Julia Roberts) is there with her recently estranged husband, Bill (Ewan McGregor), and teenage daughter Jean (Abigail Breslin); lifelong adolescent Karen (Juliette Lewis) has pinned all her hopes on the shoulders of shifty new fiance Steve (Dermot Mulroney); and Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) feels emboldened by a clandestine romance with her timid cousin, 'Little Charles' (Benedict Cumberbatch). This all culminates in a couple of exquisite dinner table confrontations, during which a lucid and destructive Violet exercises her finest skill and favourite hobby, 'truth telling'. Streep is, of course, excellent to watch in these moments, although every one of the actors needs to be — and is — at their best in the rapid-fire, emotionally fraught verbal rallies. Even if their purpose is to poison, Letts' script is full of beautiful words, which might actually be a let down for the movie. It's lofty, alienating and artificial in a way that doesn't totally work on screen, and a fair few critics have taken the hatchet to it in return. Elsewhere, though, Letts and director John Wells have done well making a very theatrical work cinematic (and have, mercifully, cut down the length). In the absence of the 'character' played by the imposing set, plentiful landscape shots of the open yet unfriendly plains of Osage County make an impact. One of the best scenes has Violet, hit by withdrawals, run blindly, desperately into this landscape, and it's one of the few moments where you really feel for her, and for her inability to escape a prison that she has helped build. If the film doesn't quite stand on its own, it's at least a good approximation of a great play. And some kind of record for sheer quantity of acting. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4VBEZrkCT8Q
The Yarra River is about to become home to some very special, albeit temporary, marine visitors. In a spectacular showcase of lights and technology, SEA LIFE Melbourne is hosting a drone display on Tuesday, January 16 at 9pm. And the best part? It's absolutely free. This one-of-a-kind event marks the launch of the aquarium's newest $9-million overhaul exhibit Night on the Reef. Imagine sharks, rays and a kaleidoscope of sea creatures, all glowing with bioluminescence as they swim through the night sky, courtesy of some skilled drone artistry. For the best views, you'll want to snag a spot along the banks of the Yarra near the aquarium. The display kicks off at 9pm, transforming the space opposite Crown Casino into an underwater realm. So, grab your mates, family or that special someone, and head down to the Yarra on a Tuesday night. After all, it's not every day that sharks swim up the Yarra — even if they are just drones.
More of a pop-up library than an exhibition, the RMIT Design Hub is hosting a dual show of Archizines, an internationally touring collection of architecture-focused zines, and Public Offer, a similarly expansive catalogue of design magazines. The exhibit provides an alternative voice to mainstream discourse about architecture and design by showcasing a wide range of independently published material — each zine a little cultural freeze-frame, capturing a moment in the development of how we build and design our spaces. Printed media is tangible — you can pick it up, play with it, and flip through at your own pace — a beautiful element that was not overlooked in the curatorial decision making process behind Archizines/Public Offer. All zines are not just displayed but laid out to hold and engage with, making the whole experience exponentially more engaging and fun, particularly as many of the zines experiment with paper type, embossed fonts, and construction. True to its name, the Design Hub ensures an incredibly stylish exhibition by encouraging a different mode of view: two long tables are laid end-to-end with leaflets and magazines, with chairs dotted about the space, meaning that either a brief perusal or an in-depth reading can be comfortably accommodated. Not simply a series of hand-stapled and typewritten zines, the publications laid out range from your basic, old-school university photocopier stuff to hardback glossies. Archizine's Evil People in Modernist Homes in Popular Films does what it says on the tin, taking a lighthearted approach to the exploration of pop culture's representation of architecture. Meanwhile, They Shoot Homos Don't They is a gay look book with a serious side, confronting LGBT issues via fashion and design. Repeated discussion topics include the invasion of the virtual/digital into the physical world, unsurprising considering both architecture and design are increasingly digital mediums, being discussed here through a medium that is itself being supplanted by blogs and online news sites. A diverse and enormous amount of content to trawl through justifies repeated visits for thorough design and architecture enthusiasts. A series of projected video-blogs from various publishers, architects and designers round out the show, each video discussing a specific question, the most pertinent seeming to be, "what is the place of print media in the digital age?" If there's any exhibition that could convince a digital devotee how satisfying a lovingly created piece of printed text can be, Public Offer/Archizines is it. Image via Archizines at the Architectural Association, London, 2011. Photography courtesy of Sue Barr & the AA School.
Anyone who has spent time in an outback Australian pub will recognise The Royal Hotel's namesake watering hole, even if they've never seen this particular bar before. The filming location itself doesn't matter. Neither do the IRL details of the actual establishment that stands in for the movie's fictional boozer. What scorches itself into memory like the blistering sun beating down on the middle-of-nowhere saloon's surroundings, then, is the look and the feel of this quintessentially Aussie beer haven. From the dim lighting inside and weather-beaten facade outside to the almost exclusively male swarm of barflies that can't wait to getting sipping come quittin' time, this feature's setting could be any tavern. It could be all of them. That fact is meant to linger as filmmaker Kitty Green crafts another masterclass in tension, microagressions and the ever-looming threats that women live with daily — swapping The Assistant's Hollywood backdrop and Harvey Weinstein shadow for a remote mining town and toxic testosterone-fuelled treatment of female bartenders. Making her second fictional feature after that 2019 standout, and her fourth film overall thanks to 2013 documentary Ukraine Is Not a Brothel and 2017's Casting JonBenet before that, Green has kept as much as she's substituted between her two most recent movies. Julia Garner stars in both, albeit without breaking out an Inventing Anna-style drawl in either — although comically parroting the Aussie accent does earn a brief workout. Green's focus remains living while female. Her preferred tone is still as unsettling as any scary movie. The Royal Hotel is another of her horror films, but an inescapable villain here, as it was in The Assistant, is a world that makes existing as a woman this innately unnerving. This taut and deeply intelligent picture's sources of anxiety and danger aren't simply society; however, what it means to weather the constant possibility of peril for nothing more than your sex chromosomes is this flick's far-as-the-eye-can-see burnt earth. Backpacking Down Under by partying their way through Sydney, Hanna (Garner, Ozark) and Liv (Jessica Henwick, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) swap boat shindigs on the harbour for a rust-hued expanse for one reason: money. With their cash drying up, the only option available to make more is a gig where the local pool is equally dusty. "Will there be kangaroos?" is their main initial question. If this pair have seen Wake in Fright, it hasn't left an imprint. They'll soon be living in their own version. Dirt, dirt and more dirt greets them fresh off the bus, then no-nonsense pub cook Carol (Ursula Yovich, Irreverent) and gruff drunk owner Billy (Hugo Weaving, Love Me), then a trial-by-fire night behind the taps to send off English tourists Jules (Alex Malone, Colin From Accounts) and Cassie (Kate Cheel, The Commons), who they're replacing. The Royal Hotel as the picture's prime locale might double for every typically Aussie watering hole, but both the setting and The Royal Hotel as a film take their cues from one specific pub. Western Australia's Denver City Hotel was immortalised in Hotel Coolgardie, the fly-on-the-wall documentary about two Finnish women who worked behind its bar and experienced the very worst of Australian drinking culture — and seeing that movie inspired writer/director Green to dive into this aggressively misogynistic world. "Fresh meat" adorns the boozer's chalkboard after Hanna and Liv arrive. Billy has barely spoken multiple sentences to them before he's dropping "cunt" with belittling force. Sexist jokes from the sozzled and arrogant customers rain down among eerie stares, brazen pick-up attempts, predatory demands and arguments between blokes over which woman they're claiming as theirs, like The Royal Hotel's latest faces have no say in it. To most of the pub's patrons, they don't. The comments, jibes and advances come from a cross-section of culprits, with Green and co-writer Oscar Redding (Van Diemen's Land) purposeful in showing that there's not only one kind of stereotypical guy whipping up discomfit. Toby Wallace's (Babyteeth) Matty knows how to charm, and how to rile up the male crowd by making women the butt of the gag. While James Frecheville (The Dry) plays the quieter, protective Teeth, those traits don't buff away his edges. With Daniel Henshall's (Mystery Road: Origin) Dolly, menace doesn't need words — and sinister entitlement drips from almost everything that he says or, to be precise, orders. There isn't just one way that women can be made to feel uneasy in male-heavy environments where they're expected to be at every guy's beck and call, and in general, as The Royal Hotel meticulously demonstrates. There definitely isn't a lone version of this gut-wrenching nightmare, nor a single way of coping when every waking minute is an exercise in monitoring your behaviour to get a job done, and just exist, without attracting the wrong attention. It's there in Hanna and Liv's varying reactions to the pub's clientele and their manners, or lack thereof; the difference between Hanna's distress and Jules and Cassie's carefree approach; and the range of factors that get Matty, Teeth, Dolly, Billy and company inciting alarm: the array of ways that Green's exceptional cast pack The Royal Hotel's powderkeg, that is. Only two things spark a straightforward read in Green's feature. The first is the eponymous everypub where nothing regal has ever graced its peeling walls and sticky floors. The second is the dread that pours out faster than visiting bartenders can pull pints. Actually, there's a third, because Kylie Minogue bopping through the soundtrack is a glorious choice. The uncertainty of this jittery environment otherwise — that someone can seem like a friend in one light and a sleaze in another, or a perturbed reaction can feel wholly justified by one of the bar's visiting women and overkill to another, for instance — only heightens the film's agitated mood. There's no one better at conveying this storm than Green, or at ripping it from reality and into her films. To watch Hanna especially is to achingly apprehend when and how often you've stood in her shoes. Green should keep Garner standing before her lens in as many movies as possible. With The Assistant and now The Royal Hotel, they're a dream team. Garner's flawless knack for conveying how life in Green's chosen scenarios is an incessant navigation and negotiation is as finely tuned as the director's; it's what made her so outstanding at playing Anna Delvey as well. As Green's now four-time cinematographer Michael Latham roves over blazing landscapes and gets claustrophobic in the tavern's dank indoors, and as composer Jed Palmer (back from Ukraine Is Not a Brothel) sets his score to faintly but still formidably jarring, that sense of steering your way through fraught terrain while trying to secure your survival proves as familiar as the outback venue at the centre of it all. With episodes of TV series Servant on her resume, Green can embrace horror traditionally, but the terrors that she digs into on the big screen aren't just frightening tales — they're piercing reflections of too much that's easy to recognise.
