Your money will go a little bit further at Marios Cafe this Thursday, as the iconic Fitzroy eatery turns back the clock. April 28 marks three decades to the day since Mario Maccarone and Mario De Pasquale opened their doors on Brunswick Street. To mark the special occasion, they're serving up a menu where everything costs the same as it did in 1986. Okay, so not quite everything. Booze prices will be staying on this side of Y2K, but everything else is going down, down, down. We're talking lasagne for $4.50, rib eye for $8.50 and coffee for $1. A buck. For coffee. In Melbourne. Can we stay in 1986 forever, please? Marios will be open on their birthday from 7am to 10.30pm. Based on the amount of attention their time travelling stunt has gotten, we're expecting quite the queue. Oh, and bonus points from us to anyone who dresses up in leg warmers.
A staple of Melbourne's cultural calendar for more than nine decades and counting, the Sidney Myer Free Concerts are back for another year. Held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the latest shows in this long-standing favourite series will, as always, feature a trio of performances from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Whether you're a classical music buff or just want to stretch out with a picnic on the grass, there's a reason that these concerts have become a beloved summertime tradition. The 2024 series kicks off on Wednesday, February 21 by going all in on Puccini. Giving tunes from Tosca, La Bohème and Madama Butterfly a whirl, the MSO will be joined by conductor Xu Zhong, soprano Hui He and tenor Paul O'Neill. Then, on Saturday, February 24, it's time to showcase Australia's up-and-coming talents. The Melbourne Youth Orchestras will get things started, then the MSO led by Carlo Antonioli will premiere Cerulean Dances and River. The first hails from Naomi Dodd, MSO's 2024 Cybec Young Composer in Residence. The second marks Alex Turley's latest work. Also on offer: Sibelius' Fifth Symphony, and Eliza Shephard performing Matthew Hindson's Flute Concerto House Music. [caption id="attachment_875579" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Laura Manariti[/caption] Finally, on Wednesday, February 28, Rossini's Overture to L'Italiana in Algeri, Tchaikovsky's Serenade, and Beethoven's Coriolan Overture and First Symphony will echo. All three performances begin at 7.30pm; however, gates open at 5.30pm. With no tickets required, this is a first-in kind of affair, so arriving early to nab your best spot is highly recommended. Can't make it in person? The MSO will also livestream the trio of gigs on each evening. [caption id="attachment_875578" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mark Gambino[/caption]
There's a particular texture to Los Angeles after dark that suits stories of crime and self-interest to a tee. A desolate urban badland of freeways and fast food joints, there's this eeriness; this unnaturalness; this inescapable sense of menace; that seems to creep out of the concrete and set your nerves on edge. You can feel it in Michael Mann's Heat, or in Collateral a decade later. You can feel it in sections of Nicholas Winding Refn's Drive. And you can feel it in Nightcrawler, from writer-director Dan Gilroy, as it glides out of the darkness and seizes you by the throat. Always at his best when playing characters gripped by obsession — Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain, Robert Graysmith in Zodiac, or Detective David Loki in last year's masterful Prisoners — Jake Gyllenhaal is in career-best form as Lou Bloom, Gilroy's unsettled protagonist, and our tour guide through the sordid LA underbelly. Inspired after witnessing a car accident, Lou decides to carve out a career as a 'nightcrawler', videotaping crime scenes and selling them to a local TV station for broadcast on the 6am news. Read our full review here. Nightcrawler is in cinemas November 27. Thanks to Madman Entertainment, we have ten double passes to give away in each city. 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
By this stage, most of us have come to terms with the fact that jetting off to USA or Europe is a seriously long slog, made worse by unavoidable (sometimes long, always painful) stopovers. But Qantas has been pondering making those trips a whole lot more bearable via direct flights from the east coast to both London and New York — even running two trial journeys over the last two months. The aim is to get the routes up and running from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane by the beginning of 2023 — as long as the proposed non-stop plan, which is called Project Sunrise, is given the go-ahead by Qantas' top brass. The airline was due to make the call this month, but it's now giving itself a few extra months to weigh up all the necessary details. March 2020 is the new decision deadline. A third trial flight from New York to Sydney was always planned before the future of Project Sunrise was finalised, and will take place on Tuesday, December 17; however the three-month decision delay will also give Qantas extra time to continue their industrial negotiations with pilots. Otherwise, the company looks to be powering forward. Based on current data, the airline has been provisionally told by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority "that it sees no regulatory obstacles to the Sunrise flights," it advised in a statement. Just as crucially, Qantas has chosen its preferred aircraft. If the direct flights do become a reality, they'll take place on Airbus A350-1000 planes, which have been in use in the industry for more than two years. Airbus will add an additional fuel tank to the aircraft, and slightly increase the maximum takeoff weight. Qantas hasn't placed an order yet, but if the non-stop routes go ahead, it'll purchase 12. Back in 2017, Qantas first revealed that it was exploring non-stop routes from Sydney — routes that would eclipse those direct flights between Perth and London, which launched in March 2018. Since then, the airline has been pursuing the idea enthusiastically, putting out a call for aircraft that can handle the trip and widening their plan to include departures to and from Brisbane as well. In numbers, the A350-1000s will need to be able to handle more than 19 hours in the air (around 20 hours and 20 minutes between Sydney and London, and 18 hours and seven minutes from Sydney to New York). Before its current test flights, the airline had done its homework, analysing a decade's worth of wind and weather data to confirm the lengthy routes were actually possible. Right now, the world's longest direct flight clocks in at over 19 hours, with Singapore Airlines flying 15,322-kilometres along its Singapore-to-New York route. Previously, the journey from Doha and Auckland earned that honour, taking around 18 hours to travel 14,529 kilometres. Image: Qantas/Airbus
Dressed in cape and tin-foil hat, local comedian and avid conspiracy buff Sam Rankin is here to open your minds. In this updated version of his hit Melbourne Fringe Festival show, Rankin and his alter ego Dale the Illuminati intern explore the world of far-out conspiracy theories, from government black ops to PM-abducting Chinese subs. The perfect show for the paranoid and obsessive. Expect blurry footage of Big Foot and plenty of crowd participation.
If you're eager to make the most of the Melbourne Cup public holiday, turn it into a long weekend and make tracks to the port city of Geelong for Toast to the Coast 2018. On November 3 and 4, the leading wineries from around the Surf Coast, Moorabool Valley and Bellarine Peninsula, will open their cellar doors and tribute the unique Geelong wine region with a good old-fashioned vino-palooza. And there's nothing like a chardy party to celebrate an impending mid-week day off. Toast to the Coast has been attracting hardcore sippers and swirlers for nearly two decades — around 4000 people from across Victoria and interstate attend annually — and the event operates like a well-oiled machine. There's a shuttle bus which takes driving out of the equation and keeps you stress-free, family friendly venues to keep the little ones comfortable, and a commemorative wine glass that doubles as your passport to free wine tastings and ensures the vino flows thick and fast. Each winery puts its own bespoke spin on the event, with gourmet local fare to keep your stomach happy and live music acts to make sure you are thoroughly entertained. Gear up to try a bunch of new releases, as well as the region's signature drops — 22 wineries will be pouring their finest vino across 17 locations. Check the full list of wineries for further details. And, the best part is, you've got an extra day (or two) to recover. For more spring places, spaces and events to discover in regional Victoria visit Your Happy Space.
We all know that fast fashion is gross. And yet, we're all familiar with the need to something cheap and quick in a time crunch — often overwhelming our need to not pollute the planet beyond repair. We really don't do well by Mother Earth here in Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, every year 500,000 tonnes of fashion ends up in landfill and each Aussie consumes 27 kilograms of textiles. Rhianna Knight believes we can do better, so she started an apparel business that won't leave you feeling shamefaced. The result is Mister Timbuktu and, after a successful crowdfunding campaign earlier this year, it's kicking ass — with its debut collection now available. Mister Timbuktu's outdoor apparel is made from recycled plastics and discarded fishing nets. At the moment, the range is all about quality leggings, raincoats and crop tops, but they'll soon branch into all things outdoorsy, including tents, sleeping bags and puffer jackets. The designs are gorgeous and bright because outdoor activities don't have to be completed in drab natural colours (apologies, Kathmandu, you serve a purpose but there's a new queen on the block). According to Knight, eleven plastic bottles are recycled in each pair of leggings they create. How in the name of activewear is that possible? Well, recycled plastics are collected, shredded into chips, washed, melted into liquid form and then spun into thread that goes on to become your new favourite comfy pants. Science, bitches! The company also puts 20 percent of profits back into helping the planet in other ways: by partnering with both a mental health charity (Waves of Wellness) and the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife. But wait, there's more. Okay, we probably shouldn't get so excited about this part because the rest of the initiative is so phenomenal, but check out the leggings: they have a pocket in the waistband which is the best and most practical thing ever. Thank you for listening to our secret wishes and delivering. For more information, visit Mister Timbuktu's website.
One of Australia's leading fine diners is having a crack at the casual dining thing this season, launching a brand-new indoor-outdoor restaurant space in the heart of the Yarra Valley. Attica Summer Camp, the latest venture from acclaimed chef-owner Ben Shewry, is open for business, serving up a laidback, approachable food and drink offering to see us through the warmer months. While Shewry's Attica is known for its envelope-pushing high-class cuisine, the situation at this new sibling is an entirely different affair, featuring a sprawling countryside setting and a playful, informal vibe. "It's going to be a super fun, high-energy, casual place that's been inspired by this time we've all been through," Shewry told Concrete Playground back in November. "And wanting to just break free from that feeling, and look towards something that's more optimistic and positive." To that end, expect a broad-ranging menu with bites to suit a quick picnic session, a long lazy lunch and plenty in between. Shewry's trademark food sensibilities shine throughout and as promised, much of it evokes memories of childhood campfires and summer holiday feasts from way back when. If you're building up to a main event, you'll find an abundance of choice in the starters lineup, where house-made focaccia and butter is served with the likes of hot-smoked king salmon, chicken liver pâté with cherries, or maybe pork pastrami and hot sauce. A couple of chilled soups — one green, one salsa-inspired — are already causing quite the stir, while picnic classics run to plates like grilled scotch eggs and a crunchy house coleslaw. There are crisp hasselback potatoes done unconventionally on the charcoal spit, cauliflower licked by the rotisserie and rare kangaroo skewers, which can all be enjoyed alongside Attica cocktail creations, a lineup of wines by the glass and even Shewry's new go-to summer sip: friesling. Just don't fill up too much before you get to have a crack at the dessert trolley, featuring dreamy things like negroni marmalade 'Tim Tams', a lemon tart and a next-level black forest cake starring Yarra Valley cherries preserved in Four Pillars gin. As for seating options, consider yourself spoilt for choice, no matter the weather. You'll find indoor tables, an outdoor terrace with primo valley views, an all-weather openair dining pavilion and even an al fresco pergola where you can kick back on a cushion enjoying vino and snacks beneath the vines. Limited walk-ins are available, though bookings are also accepted. Find Attica Summer Camp at 45 Davross Court, Seville. It's slated to run until at least the end of May, so head in earlier rather than later.
If you're on the hunt for a gift that's truly unique, there's a good chance you'll find it at Pepperberry. Describing itself as "hunters and collectors" of beautiful objects that range from homewares to eccentric fashion and children's products, the store has proved popular since opening just around the corner from Maling Road in 2007. Focusing on well-designed products that are also affordable, this charming little store is overflowing with items that'll be the ultimate gift for friends or family — or a treat to keep for yourself.
If blitzing the ARIAs and taking out the number one spot in this year's triple Hottest 100 wasn't enough for Sydney producer Flume, he's just landed himself a Grammy. The 25-year-old has just won Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 2017 Grammy Awards for his runaway May 2016 success Skin, beating Jean-Michel Jarre, Tycho and Louie Vega to the trophy. It's the first Grammy win for Flume, aka Harley Streten, who was also nominated for Best Dance Recording, for triple j Hottest 100 winner 'Never Be Like You', but was pipped to the post by The Chainsmokers with their popular single 'Don't Let Me Down'. Watch Flume's delightful acceptance speech here, which includes a mad shout out to Australian music: Check out Flume's exclusive anthem for Keep Sydney Open here. Image: Cybele Malinowski.
The National Portrait Gallery's WHO ARE YOU exhibition aims to have visitors questioning "what counts as a portrait?". Peruse the vast collection of diverse and unconventional portraiture in this exhibition, which brings together historical and contemporary portraiture in one experience. From Boris Cipusev's typographic portrait of Jeff from The Wiggles to Polixeni Papapetrou's Magma Man — a photograph that aims to merge sitter with landscape until they cannot be distinguished from one another — the portraits in this jointly-curated exhibition test the limits of Australian portraiture. This combination exhibition brings together the collections of the NGV as well as the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, creating the largest exhibition of Australian portraiture ever compiled by either gallery. This is the first time the two collections have combined on a large-scale project. This exhibition also highlights new acquisitions to the NGV collection, including a rare Joy Hester oil painting and Kaylene Whiskey's Seven Sisters Song, a playful take on portraiture from last year. Situated on the third floor of the NGV's Ian Potter Centre, this exhibition is free to the public and open from Friday, March 22 until Sunday, August 21. Photo credit: Installation view of WHO ARE YOU: Australian Portraiture at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia from 25 March to 21 August 2022. Photo: Tom Ross
The Royal Exhibition Building is set to be overrun with pooches of every shape and size. Returning for its seventh year, the Melbourne Dog Lovers Show will welcome more than 200 exhibitors and upwards of 30,000 visitors. Whether you're in the market for a new family pet or are just looking for a bit of a cuddle, you won't find a more adorable event in Melbourne. Obviously, cat people need not apply. Taking place between Friday, May 3 and Sunday, May 5, this year's show includes a number of special events for guests on two legs and four. There'll also be a doggy pool show and a speed-dating session for dog lovers, while celebrity vets such as Dr. Katrina Warren will run seminars on canine health. Several of Victoria's dog shelters will also be there, with no shortage of rescued animals looking for permanent homes. Oh, and in case that doesn't make your heart melt, they've also got a dedicated puppy patting zone.
If Four Lions, Nightcrawler and Rogue One haven't already made you a fan of Riz Ahmed, then The Night Of will. The British actor is phenomenal in the tense eight-part mini-series, putting in the type of quietly potent performance that he has become known for across his career, and also winning himself a well-deserved Emmy Award in the process. Ahmed plays Pakistani American college student Nasir 'Naz' Khan. When a young woman is murdered on New York City's Upper West Side, he's accused of the crime — with hardworking lawyer John Stone (John Turturro) enlisted to try to prove his innocence. If someone made an entire series that just featured Ahmed and Turturro chatting, it'd be must-see TV. Based on the first season of UK series Criminal Justice, The Night Of delivers much more than merely its two leads talking, but it also makes the most of its stars.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, NSW has never closed its borders to domestic travellers. But you'll soon risk a hefty fine — and jail time — if you enter the state from one of Melbourne's "hot zone" suburbs. While NSW's community transmission levels of coronavirus have dropped and been non-existent for "quite a while", with most of the state's new cases from returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine, Victoria's have spiked. The southern state has seen 306 new cases since June 25 — with 73 of those recorded in the past 24 hours — and, as a result, has reintroduced strict stay-at-home orders in ten postcodes that have the highest levels. The suburbs under lockdown and whose residents are banned from entering NSW are: 3012: Brooklyn, Kingsville, Maidstone, Tottenham and West Footscray 3021: Albanvale, Kealba, Kings Park, St Albans 3032: Ascot Vale, Highpoint City, Maribyrnong, Travancore 3038: Keilor Downs, Keilor Lodge, Taylors Lakes, Watergardens 3042: Airport West, Keilor Park, Niddrie 3046: Glenroy, Hadfield, Oak Park 3047: Broadmeadows, Dallas, Jacana 3055: Brunswick South, Brunswick West, Moonee Vale, Moreland West 3060: Fawkner 3064: Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Mickleham, Roxburgh Park and Kalkallo Those in the listed suburbs are only allowed to leave their homes for one of four reasons — work or school, care or care giving, daily exercise or for food and other essentials — and risk an on-the-spot fine in Victoria for going out for anything else. This means, non-essential travel outside of your homes, let alone across the border to NSW, is off the cards for residents of these suburbs, regardless. But if you do cross the northern border, you'll need to quarantine for 14 days — just like returned international travellers — and if you don't, could be slapped with an $11,000 fine and spend up to six months in jail. The same rules apply for NSW residents who visit a hotspot, too — when you head back over the border, you'll need to quarantine and, if you don't, risk the same fiscal punishment or jail sentence. That said, you are only allowed to enter the Melbourne hotspots for one of the four aforementioned reasons — you can't go and visit friends or family. Announcing the new rules today, Wednesday, July 1, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said to Sydneysiders, "If you choose to go to a Melbourne hotspot you'll be required to go into isolation here for 14 days. Don't go to Victorian hotspots." To Melburnians, he said, "Victorians from hotspots are not welcome in NSW. Do not leave the hotspot. As soon as you step foot into NSW, you'll be exposed to the possibility of six months jail and a $11,000 fine." Hazzard said a public health order implementing the changes is expected to be signed later today. You can find out more about the status of COVID-19 at the NSW Health and Victorian Department of Health and Human Services websites.
If you've never been interested in silent films, this Spanish production might change your mind — and if they are your taste, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Blancanieves, which translates to 'Snow White', is a unique interpretation of the classic Grimm Brothers fantasy. Set in Andalusia, Spain during the early 1900s when bull fighting, flamenco and romance were at their best, the film expresses all the gusto and passion of Spanish culture — even without those sultry words. The protagonist of the story is Carmen (Macarena García), the daughter of famed matador Antonio Villalta (Daniel Giménez Cacho). On the same fateful day, Antonio is injured in a bullfight and Carmen's mother dies whilst giving birth to her. Carmen, who is raised by her grandmother until her death, goes to live with the paralysed Antonio, and his nurse-turned-wife, Encarna (Maribel Verdú). As her evocative name implicates, Encarna runs a house of horrors, treating her husband and stepdaughter with cruelty while masking her own bizarre fetishes. According to the traditional story, the stepmother is insanely jealous of the budding beauty and tries to do away her. Of course, our heroine survives (with a little amnesia) and is taken in by a group of travelling dwarves who nickname her 'Blancanieves'. By accident, it is discovered that Carmen has her father's knack for bullfighting. They travel around Spain as she stares down bulls in a gladiatorial yet glamorous fashion, most notably in an emotive last torero. Dubbed "a love letter to European silent cinema", by director Pablo Berger, Blancanieves had been in his heart for quite some time. Inspired by a photograph of bullfighting dwarves, Berger started on the project in 2003. Eight years later, he got wind that The Artist, another black-and white silent film, had premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. "I almost threw my phone against the wall," he told the Guardian. The high concept was gone." If he worried that Blancanieves would look like a copycat of the Oscar winning Artist, I disagree. As do copious others; the film received ten Goya awards (the equivalent of the Spanish Oscars). Blancanieves has all the qualities of a classic silent film but with a fresh twist that keeps our modern minds guessing. By incorporating Hitchcock-type cinematography, Berger crafts a beguiling version of the traditional story that is in turns melancholy, eerie and erotic. His cast of devastatingly beautiful Spanish beauties, such as Verdú (from Y Tu Mamá Tambien and Pan's Labyrinth), makes us swoon with every lash bat and tear roll. The roles of the dwarves are also unexpected — possibilities for betrayal and even romance can be found. So if you're looking forward to a debonair don of a prince charming in this story, forget it. But with a fantastically ambiguous ending that will have you wanting more, his is a part that's hardly missed. https://youtube.com/watch?v=HanTDiiZLpg
Drones: if filmmakers aren't deploying them to capture bird's-eye sights, they're making thrillers about their use and impact. Expect plenty of the former at Drone Film Festival Australia + New Zealand, as lofty visuals get their time to shine — and swoop, soar, float, glide and more. Touring Australia throughout September and October, the fest showcases 36 unique short drone films, stories and documentaries from around the world, including those made by filmmakers, production companies and everyday drone hobby enthusiasts. It's the kind of cinematic package those not so fond of heights mightn't be eager to see, so consider yourself warned. For the rest of us, however, it's a chance to look at the world from a whole new vantage. Last year's highlights included superhero-like tales, jaunts through natural and urban spaces, and even a beer odyssey, as filmmaking took to the skies thanks to the latest unmanned aerial technology. Expect a whole new crop when the festival comes to Cinema Nova on October 5 for a one-night-only stopover.
Come Saturday, November 18, ten Aussie and New Zealand breweries will take over Moon Dog World in Preston for a specialty tasting sesh. Each of the breweries will showcase their own craft beers made using NZ Hops‚ a cooperative of farms supplying hops to breweries in over 20 countries, including Moon Dog Craft Brewery itself. Mountain Goat Beer, Fixation Brewing Co, Moffat Beach Brewing Co, 8 Wired Brewing, Felons and Sawmill Brewery are just some of the breweries participating, slinging 100ml tasters of their craft creations from 12pm–6pm. [caption id="attachment_844719" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Samantha Schultz[/caption] Either grab the Taster Pass ($34.85), getting you ten 100ml serves of beer, or purchase The Primo Pass ($80.12) to nab a tasting glass, ten 100ml tasters, an additional three serves of event-exclusive beers, merch and priority access to the masterclasses running throughout the day. Adding to the festivities, Moon Dog will also set up a bucking bull (best to ride before getting on the beers, based on our experience) and hop volcano while a DJ plays Kiwi-made tunes all day long. Regular punters can still access these parts of the New Hop Drop Fest for free, opting to pay for their own beers as they go. The New Hop Drop Fest will run on Saturday, November 18, from 12pm–6pm, at Moon Dog World, 32 Chifley Drive, Preston. For more details on the participating brewers and masterclasses, head to the venue's website.
Summer is here, and so are your cravings for frosty sweet treats and refreshing cold tipples. Stocking up on ice cream and mixing up your chosen cocktail in bulk are what the warmer weather is all about, of course — and so is combining the two. Adding to the growing list of booze-inspired icy desserts, Zero Gradi has released a new flavour for summer: Aperol spritz gelato. It's exactly what it sounds like, and it's only on offer from the gelateria's Brunswick East store from now until the end of February. Called Aperol Zero and made in conjunction with Aperol, this Italian flavour mashup blends Zero Gradi's hand-churned gelato with the sweet orange and subtle bitterness that you're oh-so-used to sipping when the temperature heats up. The combo is more about the taste than the booze, however, with each scoop containing less than 0.2 percent alcohol per serve. Still, if you're keen to eat your favourite beverage rather than merely drink it, then we've found your new go-to summer dessert. And, if you can't decide between Aperol gelato or frosé sorbet, then you can always add a new kind of crawl to your summer itinerary: a boozy ice cream crawl. Find Aperol Zero at Zero Gradi, 93-97 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, until February 28.
Craft beer and science aren't always the most likely of combos, but they are coming together in perfect harmony for National Science Week later this month. If you head along to Richmond brewery Mountain Goat, on Thursday, August 16, you'll have the chance to explore the hidden wonders of the deep, dark universe, from the comfort of your bar stool. Astrophysicists Professor Alan Duffy and Dr Rebecca Allen will host an immersive, science-filled session, looking at some of the groundbreaking work Aussie scientists are doing in the realm of space-time and the microscopic world. As part of the Q&A, guests will each pop on a SciVR headset to embark on an immersive virtual reality tour, shooting through black holes and discovering a plethora of microscopic wonders along the way. All this, while enjoying a few Mountain Goat beers.
Two Australian music legends. Decades of collaboration. One long-awaited album. One huge tour. That's the maths behind the Australian leg of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis' Carnage tour, which Cave first announced was in the works back in early February via his The Red Hand Files email list. Now, after already locking in dates in Hanging Rock — which have sold out, unsurprisingly — the duo have unveiled their full 2022 Aussie tour schedule. Yes, this is some news to come sail your ships around — with 15 gigs slated in five states and one territory, all from mid-November through to mid-December. The tour will kick off with a two-night stop in Adelaide, before heading to those Macedon Ranges gigs, then to Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Tamworth and Newcastle. And, to cap things off, Cave and Ellis will hit up the Sydney Opera House's newly revamped Concert Hall for a two-gig big finale. [caption id="attachment_845539" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Palma Sabina[/caption] The pair are doing the rounds to support the 2021 album that shares the tour's name, which actually marks Cave and Ellis' first studio album as a duo. Bandmates across several projects since the 90s — including Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and Grinderman — Cave and Ellis are Aussie icons, with careers spanning back decades. Together, they also boast more than a few phenomenal film scores to their names as well, including for The Proposition, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The Road, West of Memphis, Far From Men, Hell or High Water and Wind River. Cave and Ellis are heading home after an American Carnage tour, and following Cave's subsequent tour with the Bad Seeds in Europe. "I can't begin to tell you how happy Warren and I are to be finally returning to Australia to perform. The wait has been way too long. See you all soon for the Carnage experience!," said Cave, announcing the news. [caption id="attachment_845538" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Laurine Payet[/caption] It's already been a big year for fans of Cave and Ellis, thanks to film This Much I Know to Be True, as directed by Chopper, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Killing Them Softly filmmaker Andrew Dominik. It explores Cave and Ellis' creative relationship, largely through watching them at work in stunning live scenes. Dominik also made 2016 Cave doco One More Time with Feeling, and his latest flick is available to stream now. [caption id="attachment_845537" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Laurine Payet[/caption] NICK CAVE AND WARREN ELLIS 'AUSTRALIAN CARNAGE' 2022 TOUR: Tuesday, November 22—Wednesday, November 23: Festival Theatre, Adelaide Friday, November 25—Saturday, November 26: Hanging Rock, Macedon Ranges — SOLD OUT Monday, November 28–Tuesday, November 29: Canberra Theatre, Canberra Friday, December 2: Palais Theatre, Melbourne Monday, December 5—Tuesday, December 6: Riverside Theatre, Perth Friday, December 9: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre Great Hall, Brisbane Saturday, December 10: Gold Coast Convention Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast Monday, December 12: Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre, Tamworth Wednesday, December 14: Civic Theatre, Newcastle Friday, December 16—Saturday, December 17: Sydney Opera House, Sydney Nick Cave and Warren Ellis' Australian Carnage tour will head around the country in November and December 2022. Tickets go on sale at 10am local time in each city on Friday, July 29 — for more information, head to Nick Cave's website. Top image: Megan Cullen.
What do slicing-and-dicing villains in horror movies and Monster Fest's annual weekend-long mini film festival have in common? Both can strike at any time. Each year, usually at the end of the year, the broader fest showcases genre and cult movies — but it also pops up before then to host Monster Fest Weekender. In 2023, the latter took place in winter. In 2024, it's bringing the scares, plus a focus on slasher films, in autumn. If you like frightening flicks, then you'll want to make a date with Melbourne's Cinema Nova from Friday, April 26–Sunday, April 28. Across three days, just one type of horror film will be on offer — and yes, of course the lineup includes Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th titles, as well as a Sleepaway Camp marathon. Wes Craven's Freddy Krueger franchise is represented with both the OG A Nightmare on Elm Street and also 1994's New Nightmare, each of which are marking anniversaries — 40 and 30 years, respectively. Prefer movies about Jason Voorhees instead? Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter is also on the bill, and also celebrating its 40th anniversary. Other pictures that'll get the projectors whirring at Monster Fest Weekender: Slasher Edition span Deranged, which commemorates its 50th anniversary with the first-ever showing of its complete and uncut version in Australian cinemas — and I, Madman, which has also never been seen in Aussie picture palaces. And if you can handle the Sleepaway Camp Slash-athon, it features the first, second and third films.
Whether you saw it coming or not, National Cheeseburger Day is happening on Wednesday, September 18. And you can't let that occasion pass you by without scoffing down at least one classic, cheesy burg, right? Luckily, the burger flipping legends at Merrywell Burger Bar are getting right into the spirit, teaming up with cheese producer That's Amore for a timely cheeseburger giveaway. Be one of the first 100 punters to roll into the Crown Melbourne venue from noon on September 18, and you'll land yourself a customised 'Chooseburger'. To take that meat and bun combo to the next level, you'll get to select your own hero cheese, choosing up to three variations from a lineup of That's Amore's finest. Indulge the fancies of your inner traditionalist with some melty smoked mozzarella, or shake things up with the likes of a truffle-infused cheese, a taleggio-style lavato or even the soft-rind caciotta with a hit of chilli. Even if you miss out on one of the freebies, you can still nab your own Chooseburger, but for this one day only. Burgers are priced at $14, matched with chips and a soft drink for $16.
It's time to break out those picnic rugs — The Peninsula Picnic is back for the first time in two years for its annual celebration of food, wine and good times. Taking over the Mornington Racecourse on Saturday, March 19, this year's lineup promises to be as impressive as ever, showcasing the region's finest epicurean delights alongside a rather nifty musical offering. Showing off their goods on the day — and ensuring bellies and wine glasses stay happily full — will be a hand-picked selection of local producers. Expect offerings from renowned wineries like Prancing Horse, Paringa Estate and Montalto, and dining hotspots like Red Gum BBQ, Doc Mornington and Green Olive. There'll also be spirits from Bass & Flinders Distillery and Jimmyrum, plus a series of wine masterclasses and market stalls. Topping it all off, The Peninsula Picnic has landed a cracking lineup of live tunes, headlined by Bernard Fanning. He'll be joined by Boy & Bear, ARIA-nominated duo Mama Kin Spender, folktronic group Amaru tribe and multi-instrumentalist Steph Strings.
Just as the flickering light of a projector illuminates a darkened cinema, so too have filmmakers from around the globe sought out tales of courage, resilience and survival amidst one of the darkest points in human history. Organised by the Jewish International Film Festival (not to be confused with the Israeli Film Festival) the Holocaust Film Series will present the Australian premieres of 22 recent feature films, documentaries and shorts, from countries including France, Germany, Poland, America and Israel. In doing so, the series aims to examine the relationship between the past and the present, as well as the ongoing role of cinema in historical representations of the Holocaust. Noteworthy titles on the program include The Lady in Number 6, about the world’s oldest concert pianist and Holocaust survivor, and Bureau 06, about the investigators who prepared the case for the Jewish people in the trial of Adolf Eichmann. The former is nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Film, while the latter recently competed for Best Documentary at Israel’s prestigious Ophir Awards. The Holocaust Film Series screens in Sydney and Melbourne starting in late March. For more information, see the JIFF website.
If life in general hasn't been dystopian enough for you over the past few years, your next HBO obsession will be: The Last of Us, the television adaptation of the hit video game. Expect a tense future 20 years after modern civilisation has been destroyed, plus a seasoned survivor given a tough mission involving a teenager — and, amid that nightmarish quest, the kind of monsters no one wants to see. If you've been a fan of the button-mashing favourite since it first arrived in 2013, then played the sequel in 2020, then you're already devoted to The Last of Us — and you know where HBO's version is going when it arrives in January, streaming in Australia via Binge and New Zealand via Neon. If you're new to the gaming franchise, get ready for what's certain to be 2023's first big show, complete with an eerie, creepy, action-packed mood, and a story that dives into a fraught post-apocalyptic version of the US. That's been the vibe in both the initial teaser trailer from September and the just-dropped full trailer, both of which help tease out The Last of Us' premise. Pedro Pascal (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) plays Joel, who has been hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey, Catherine Called Birdy) out of an oppressive quarantine zone. There wouldn't be a game, let alone a television version, if that was an easy task, of course — and if the pair didn't need to weather quite the brutal journey. So far, so intriguing — and while the sneak peeks so far do indeed conjure up memories of The Walking Dead, that just comes with the basic concept. The Naughty Dog-created PlayStation game wouldn't be the huge hit it's proven for almost a decade now if it simply cribbed from that TV show, obviously. Fans of the game will note that Ashley Johnson (Blindspot) and Troy Baker (Young Justice), who voiced the Ellie and Joel in the source material, will indeed pop up in the HBO show. They'll clearly be playing different characters, however. Also pivotal to HBO's adaptation: co-creator, executive producer, writer and director Craig Mazin, who already brought a hellscape to the US network (and to everyone's must-watch list) thanks to the haunting and horrifying Chernobyl. He teams up here with Neil Druckmann from Naughty Dog, who also penned and directed The Last of Us games. Alongside Pascal and Ramsey — and Johnson and Baker — the series also boasts Gabriel Luna (Terminator: Dark Fate) as Joel's younger brother and former soldier Tommy, Merle Dandridge (The Flight Attendant) as resistance leader Marlene and Aussie actor Anna Torv (Mindhunter) as smuggler Tess. And, Nico Parker (The Third Day) plays Joel's 14-year old daughter Sarah, Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus) and Nick Offerman (The Resort) feature as isolated survivalists Frank and Bill, Storm Reid (Euphoria) pops up as Boston orphan Riley, Jeffrey Pierce (Castle Rock) plays quarantine-zone rebel Perry and Yellowjackets' Melanie Lynskey also guest stars. Check out the full trailer for The Last of Us below: The Last of Us will start streaming Down Under from Monday, January 16, 2023 — in Australia via Binge and New Zealand via Neon. Images: Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Parenting can be difficult at the best of times — so imagine what it was like in the tenth century. Viking Mama! is the new narrative comedy from Brisbane-based performer Jenny Wynter, and follows a Viking named Jenny (naturally) as she attempts to plan a birthday party for her three-year-old son, played by a head of lettuce (of course). Complete with a Greek chorus of Valkyries and a bearded lady on keyboard, Wynter's show explores the perils of parenthood, and shapes up as one of the most intriguingly odd options on the Melbourne Cabaret Festival program.
Australia's real-time restaurant deals app, EatClub — which was launched by celeb chef Marco Pierre White — has now entered into the realm of takeaway eats. No longer just a way to book in to restaurants at a discounted price, EatClub now lets you redeem takeaway deals, plus order and pay for them via the app. To celebrate the launch of this new feature, EatClub's CBD restaurant partners are offering $5 dishes all week. From Monday, October 14 to Sunday, October 20, you can score a $5 feed. All you have to do is redeem a takeaway deal, then use the app's new ordering and payment feature to complete your order. To give you an idea of what's part of this sweet deal, you could be tucking into bao from Wonderbao, Pelicana's fried chicken or Delhi Streets' Indian snacks — all for just a fiver. This is in addition to all the deals the eateries already offer as part of the app's whole deal to start with. So, overall, you'll be able to score a delicious feed for less than a trip to your local chicken shop. To get involved, you just have to update the app, or download it if you're a newbie. Then claim a takeaway deal from any venue displaying a $5 icon on the map, select order and pay via the app and take your pick of a cheap treat (and anything else your heart desires). The chefs will whip it up in the kitchen, ready for you to pick up in no time. So your next cheap feed — which you'll tuck into while reclined on the couch — will be as tasty as it is convenient. Make sure you download the EatClub app here.
In a season two episode of the iconic Flight of the Conchords, Jemaine asks his comedic comrade Bret, "What expression is on your face?" To which a deadpan Bret answers, "Um. Guilty expression. What expression is on your face?" Now Two Little Boys sees Bret McKenzie as Nige: mullet-haired, potty-mouthed and totally guilt-ridden upon accidentally killing a backpacker while cruising the bleak streets of Invercargill. Those used to the pokerfaced prankster on FotC take note: this is a blacker, bitterer Bret — plagued with demons and incessantly panicky — but, like toasted sandwiches and beer, it works. Two Little Boys is a deliciously dark screwball comedy about "what it means to really be dead" and, in turn, what it means to be alive. Nige has had a falling out with his best friend since childhood, Deano (Hamish Blake), with whom he'd shared beers, boner jokes, and a bedroom since adolescence. Nige, on sensing there might be more to life than mischief and piss-ups, moved in with his new mate Gav (Maaka Pohatu), who is fond of poetry, pot, and piety. It all goes pakaru when Nige hits the Norwegian tourist in the wee hours one night and finds himself with a hot meat pie in his lap and a corpse on his hands. He turns to the jilted Deano, whose manic-eyed monstrousness quickly becomes apparent when he steps in to help his beloved buddy get out of trouble. The bromance-gone-bad elements are all, devilishly, in place: the well-adjusted new mate, the angry ex-girlfriend, the strewn-about reminders of their goodtime past. Blake is brilliant as the obscene Deano, bringing a crazy-eyed sanguinariness to Deano's unwavering loyalty. Set against the magnificence of New Zealand's South Island, the duo's road-trip to discreetly dump the deceased in the Catlins is as disturbing as it is cartoonishly comical. Blake and McKenzie are a dangerously funny pair; their Anzac-like brethren is a fine motif of our two southerly countries' camaraderie. Expect lots of trackpants, swear words, and toasted sandwiches. Folks from the South Island might recognise a face or two, with 100 extras chosen from around the area. Enjoy the immature giggle you get out of telling the cinema teller you would like to see 'two little boys' — this is a flick about the joy of juvenility and the occasional freakishness of undying fidelity.
That gin obsession of yours is about to be put to even better use, with Melbourne set to score a new boozy celebration dedicated to your favourite tipple. The inaugural Tapped In G&T Festival descends on Patient Wolf Distilling Co's Southbank HQ across Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18, serving up a special program of gin-centric libations, tunes, food and general good times. The event is happening to celebrate the launch of Victoria's first Long Rays tonic and soda fountain — an innovative, sustainability-focused tap system which has landed at Patient Wolf. Decked out in rose gold, it's set to save an estimated 6200 glass bottles from waste each year. Festival attendees will be among the first locals to see (and taste) the system in action, as they sample gin spritz creations featuring flavours like yuzu and wattle pollen, and pear with rhubarb and lemon verbena. There'll be plenty of classics from the Long Rays and Patient Wolf portfolios also featured on the day's drinks menu, and guests are invited to unleash their creativity at the DIY garnish station. Plus, in-between sipping those gins and doing your bit for the environment, you'll be able to tuck into tasty food truck eats — and unwind to sounds from the resident DJ.
How do we view the world? How does the world view us? Do we behave as expected, or as we really are? If we were to catch ourselves in a truly unguarded moment, what would we see? While these are more profound questions than I generally like to ask myself on a Friday night, such notions of inner conflict and self-awareness are the themes of Chunky Move’s latest contemporary dance piece, 247 Days. I guess there's always next Friday night for an uplifting salsa class? Part of Melbourne’s Dance Massive program, 247 Days is a complex and conceptual piece, exploring notions of inner conflict, self-discovery and reflection in an incredibly emotive work conceived by artistic director, Anouk van Dijk. A moving set of mirrors by Michael Hankin combined with lighting by Niklas Pajanti creates a backdrop of kaleidoscopic reflections and looming shadows, adding both aesthetic and symbolic value. Along with Marcel Wierckx’s clever and beautifully composed sound design, these supporting elements drive the piece, as much as the dancers themselves. Leif Helland, Lauren Langlois, Alya Manzart, James Pham, Niharika Senapti and Tara Soh are undeniably masters of their genre, showcasing commanding solo moments alongside the ability to almost melt into one another as an ensemble. Their energy moves through the audience in electric waves, with more than one audible “holy shit” having escaped from my own mouth mid-performance. While undeniably enhanced by the music, set and lighting, what makes this piece so profoundly affective are the unguarded, unrelenting bodies of the performers. At times manic and always dynamic, moments of high tension are tempered by stillness, providing balance and finding a place of equilibrium. There’s something very powerful about watching a person give everything they have and the matted, sweaty hair and glistening forms visible at the end of the performance are testament to this. As a bright-eyed and bushy tailed 20-something just trying to make it in this crazy, messed up world, perhaps I relate so easily to this emotional rollercoaster because the ideas and themes are specifically relevant. But I think it is more a human similarity, a universally relatable sense of inadequacy and self-consciousness that basically gets inside your gut and twists hard. Whatever is bubbling down inside you will surely be extracted during 247 Days. Image by Jeff Busby.
If you're citybound and missing out on New Year's Eve festivals like Falls and Beyond The Valley this year, don't fret. Let Them Eat Cake is your inner city solution to satisfy those festival urges. Held on New Year's Day at Werribee Park, LTEC is not only great for the music, but also plays host to installation art, openair exhibitions and some killer food offerings. But back to what you're all here for: the music. This year's lineup is headed by UK electro powerhouse Jon Hopkins, who's worked with everyone from Coldplay to Brian Eno. On the program, you'll also find Chicago house icon Honey Dijon, Scottish up-and-comer Denis Sulta and underground electro musician Tom Trago. The lineup's local contingent includes funk and soul performer Harvey Sutherland, well-known dancefloor starters Wax'o Paradiso and rising star Adi Toohey. While you're there — shaking off your hangover — you'll also have the chance to dance to HAAi, Tokimonsta and Madam X. Have your cake and eat it too, guys — you've earned it this year. LET THEM EAT CAKE 2020 LINEUP Adi Toohey Cinthie Denis Sulta HAAi Harvey Sutherland Honey Dijon Jon Hopkins Madam X SAM Shigeto Sosupersam Tokimonsta Tom Trago Wax'o Paradiso + more to be announced Let Them Eat Cake 2020 tickets go on sale to the general public at 9am on Thursday, September 19. Images: Duncographic
If you fancy getting a jump on this year's Oktoberfest celebrations, The Bavarian certainly has you sorted. The group is expanding its stable of German-inspired bier halls, opening the doors to its latest venue at Highpoint Shopping Centre this weekend. And to celebrate, they're handing out a whopping 500 free hotdogs, from 5pm on Friday, August 31. The hot dogs are made using the Bavarian's signature frankfurter — wood-smoked pork and beef — topped with sauerkraut, tomato sauce and crisp shallots. Given the eatery is just as famous for its sausage offering as it is for its schnitzels and crispy pork knuckles, that's quite the deal. The giveaway is a little taster of the new venue's full Oktoberfest program, which runs from September 22 to 27. Throughout the week, there'll be five limited-edition Oktoberfest beers heading the tap list, Bavarian-style food menus and a swag of food challenges to ease the blow of not living up the real deal over in Munich. And the German-style fun continues long after the final Oktoberfest keg is tapped — Bavarian Highpoint will be dishing up authentic eats and icy cold steins, all year round.
What's better than a fluffy, saucy bao? Well, learning that there's a dedicated National Bao Day, for a start. And then, finding out that one of Melbourne's favourite bao destinations is giving away a stack of its star creations for free to mark the occasion. The annual food celebration apparently falls on Thursday, August 22, and street food eatery Goldie Asian Canteen + Brews is getting into the spirit with some good old fashioned freebies. Be one of the first 600 punters through the door between noon and 2pm that day and you'll score yourself one free bao. Choices include menu favourites like the crispy chicken bao stuffed with Sriracha kewpie, coriander, pickled carrot and daikon — and a braised pork belly beauty matched with pickled mustard greens. And, since it's pretty much impossible to stop at just one, the restaurant's offering further bao discounts on the day – instead of the usual $15 for two bao, you'll be able to snap them up for just $4 a pop. Images: Kate Shanasy
First cab off the rank for Arts House’s 2014 season is Noel Tovey’s Little Black Bastard. This autobiographical, one-man show spans the course of Tovey’s life from a troubled childhood suffering the horrors of institutional neglect to a stint in Pentridge Gaol at the age of just seventeen. After a moment of awakening in prison, Tovey sought reinvention in the UK as a performer, and has since enjoyed a stellar international career as a dancer and choreographer — Australia's first Aboriginal ballet dancer, in fact. The self-professed goal of Arts House is to bring Melbourne the latest in avant-garde and experimental performance art. With Tovey now 83 years old, and with Little Black Bastard in its tenth year of performance, this show might not strike you as particularly experimental or ground-breaking, but it is a rare chance in a limited season to see one of Australia’s leading Indigenous theatre-makers in action. A performance, he claims, may well be his last. Little Black Bastard is appearing as part of the Melbourne Indigenous Arts Festival.
Late night walks along the 86 tram route are about to get a whole lot more colourful. For ten straight nights, the Gertrude Street Projection Festival will light up Fitzroy, as walls, shopfronts, footpaths and even tree trunks are transformed into eye-catching works of art. The festival runs July 10-19, with projections on display from 6pm to midnight. More than 35 sites along the street will be illuminated, from Smith Street to the Carlton Gardens. As you stroll up and down the block, keep your eyes peeled for works by Arika Waulu, Robert Jordan and Jemila MacEwan, as well as a roving live performance piece from the team at Uprising Theatre. You’ll also be able to catch live music, video installations, industry panels and more indoors at The Catfish, which for the third year in a row will play host to the Projection Festival Hub. It’ll also be the site of both the opening and closing night parties, the latter of which happens to be robot-themed. And yes, homemade costumes are encouraged. For more information about the Gertrude Street Projection Festival, visit www.gspf.com.au Images: Chris Phutully via Wikicommons and Gertrude Street Projection Festival.
Shelly is a normal girl. Normal enough, that is, until she finds herself starting to become more and more fish-like every day. Staying true to her piscine transformation, she takes refuge in the sea, alone. But the sea is no place for a human girl — even a scaly, gilled amphibian-type one who's taken a liking to blowing bubbles. The Sound of Waves is a fictionalised account of performer Jodie Harris' true story of losing her hearing and getting a cochlear implant. Written bespoke for her to perform solo by Gareth Ellis, the production is a whimsical, affirming tale six years in the making. Harris, a deaf actor, admits she was worried about performing it. But the oh-so-precious, encouraging words of the Weedy Seahorse — one of her multitudinous characters in the play — got her through that: "I can do this, and that — check it out! I can do this." The Sound of Waves plays at fortyfivedownstairs from October 3-12, and tickets are $30 each ($25 concession). We have two double passes to give away to the performance on Sunday, October 5, at 5pm. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
Imagine if you could feast on the tasty flavours that have made Belles Hot Chicken so renowned, without having to feel a pinch of regret about the harming of a bird. Well, that day has come. On Sunday, December 10, for one magnificent animal-friendly day, Shannon Martinez of vegan institution Smith & Daughters will be taking over Belles' Fitzroy joint. She'll be drawing on the tips, tricks and recipes of Belles' head chef Morgan McGlone, but applying them to 100 percent plant-based dishes. The menu is yet to be revealed, but, going by her previous vegan creations, we can't wait to see what Martinez comes up with. Meanwhile, in the drinks hot seat will be James Erskine, who has selected some top drops from Jauma Wines, a boutique winery based in McLaren Vale, South Australia. It's not possible to book a table or a ticket. If you want to make sure you don't miss out, then your best bet is to turn up early.
UPDATE, December 2, 2020: Disobedience is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. There's a moment in every Sebastian Lelio film that cuts to the core of the writer-director's protagonists; that lets audiences peer into their hearts and souls. As seen in Gloria and A Fantastic Woman, it's usually a contemplative pause amidst a hectic frenzy — one heightened not only by the filmmaker's empathetic gaze, but by the stellar talent he's always pointing his lens towards. In Disobedience, this moment comes early. Photographer Ronit Krushka (Rachel Weisz) segues from busy days taking pictures to frantic nights finding comfort in bars, clearly masking her true feelings behind a carefully controlled facade. And so she sits for mere seconds, catching her breath, her eyes darting around as she looks towards the camera, and her hands ripping at her shirt with frustration and yearning. If Ronit is inwardly restless just going about her regular New York routine, then she's almost jumping out of her skin when she's called back to North London upon the death of her rabbi father. The Orthodox Jewish community she once belonged to is barely cordial, with the traditional greeting "may you have a long life" cutting like a weapon. But childhood friends Dovid (Alessandro Nivola) and Esti (Rachel McAdams), now married and still devout, welcome Ronit into their home, black sheep though she may be. Grief about her dad and guilt over their estrangement aren't the primary source of Ronit's distress, however. Nor is the rebellious, defiant reputation she's instantly given upon her homecoming. Rather, it's the torrid relationship that Ronit shared with Esti when they were teenagers — and the rekindled feelings sparked by her return. Adapted by Lelio and co-writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Ida) from Naomi Alderman's 2006 novel of the same name, Disobedience isn't a film about romance with religious tension layered on top, or one about religion with romance thrown in. Matters of affection and matters of theology are both involved, but characterising this complex, nuanced and soulful movie as one or the other does it a disservice. This is a story that recognises the many competing factors that shape a person's identity and choices, as well as the ongoing tussle between being true to oneself and meeting the expectations of others. Accordingly, desire, duty and faith intertwine in a picture that charts the influence each has had upon each member of its central love triangle. And make no mistake: while the film follows its two female protagonists as they try to follow their hearts amidst oppressive circumstances, Disobedience is a love triangle as much as it's a lesbian love story. The sensitivity Lelio brings to the forbidden romance is also applied to Dovid, a rabbi-in-training who embodies the fundamentalist principles blocking Ronit and Esti's bliss, yet proves just as torn about what's right. A lesser film would paint him as the villain, but that's the kind of easy depiction Disobedience shies away from at every turn. Although the movie delves into a cloistered world that's set in its ways and unwilling to change, nothing about its characters, their emotions or their struggles is anywhere near as straightforward or clear cut. There's a reason that Lelio favours shades of grey, visually, after all. Weisz, McAdams and Nivola are similarly multifaceted — so much so that, in the ultimate compliment to each actor, their respective characters feel as though they could walk right off the screen. The blend of steeliness and vulnerability Weisz brings to the bulk of her work courses through Ronit's veins, with the star also one of the movie's producers. Nivola plays Dovid as decent but conflicted, weathering every narrative beat with quiet poignancy. But it's McAdams who is in rarely-seen form. Earlier this year, she stole the show while showcasing her comedic chops in the vastly dissimilar Game Night. Now, she dons a kosher wig to lay bare the devastating pain of a woman torn between her head and her heart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnCLTbLKfv4
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. SCREAM Twenty-six years ago, "do you like scary movies?" stopped being just an ordinary question. Posed by a wrong-number caller who happened to be a ghostface-masked killer with a fondness for kitchen knives, it was the snappiest and savviest line in one of the 90s' biggest horror films — a feature filled with snappy and savvy lines, too — and it's now one of cinema's iconic pieces of dialogue. It also perfectly summarised Scream's whole reason for being. The franchise-starting slasher flick didn't just like scary movies, though. It was one, plus a winking, nudging comedy, and it gleefully worshipped at the altar of all horror films that came before it. Wes Craven helmed plenty of those frightening features prior to Scream, so the A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Hills Have Eyes director was well-equipped to splash around love for the genre like his villain splashed around entrails — and to eagerly and happily satirise all of horror's well-known tropes in the stab-happy process. If you've seen the 1996 film or its three sequels till now, you've bathed in all that scary movie affection. You might've gleaned the horror basics from their rules and references; the OG film even had its characters watch Halloween and borrows the 70s classic's stellar score for key scenes. Geeking out over spooky cinema is the franchise's main personality trait, to the point that it has its own saga-within-a-saga, aka the Stab movies, and its fifth entry — also just called Scream — wouldn't dream of making that over. The famous question gets asked, obviously. Debates rage about the genre, enough other horror films are name-checked to fill a weekend-long movie marathon, cliches get skewered and dissected, and there's a Psycho-style shower scene. 'Elevated' horror standouts The Babadook, It Follows, The Witch and Hereditary earn a shoutout as well, but Scream itself just might be an elevator horror flick. It isn't set in one, but it crams in so much scary movie love that it always feels like it's stopping every few moments to let its nods and nerding-out disembark. In other words, you'd really best answer Scream's go-to query with the heartiest yes possible, and also like watching people keep nattering about all things horror. Taking over from Craven, who also directed 1997's Scream 2, 2000's Scream 3 and 2011's Scream 4 but died in 2015, Ready or Not's Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett task their next generation of slasher fodder with showing their devotion with all the subtlety of a masked murderer who can't stop taunting their prey. That'd be Ghostface, who terrorises today's Woodsboro high schoolers, because the fictional spot is up there with Sunnydale and Twin Peaks on the list of places that are flat-out hellish for teens. The same happened in Scream 4, but the first new attack by the saga's killer is designed to lure home someone who's left town. Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera, In the Heights) hightailed it the moment she was old enough, fleeing a family secret, but is beckoned back when her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega, You) receives the feature's opening "do you like scary movies?" call. Soon, bodies are piling up, Ghostface gives Woodsboro that grim sense of deja vu again, and Tara's friends — including the horror film-obsessed Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown, Yellowjackets), her twin Chad (Mason Gooding, Love, Victor), his girlfriend Liv (Sonia Ammar, Jappeloup), and other pals Wes (Dylan Minnette, 13 Reasons Why) and Amber (Mikey Madison, Better Things) — are trying to both survive while basically cycling through the OG feature again, complete with a crucial location, and sleuth out the culprit using their scary movie knowledge. Everyone's a suspect, including Sam herself and her out-of-towner boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid, The Boys), and also the begrudging resident expert on this exact situation: ex-sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette, Spree). The latter is the reason that morning show host Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox, Cougar Town) and initial Ghostface target Sidney Prescott (Skyscraper) make the trip back to Woodsboro again as well. Read our full review. KING RICHARD In King Richard, Will Smith does more acting than expected with his back to the on-screen action. He does more acting in general — while the Ali and Concussion star can be a transformative performer, here he feels like he's overtly playing a part rather than disappearing into a role — but the way his eponymous figure handles his daughters' matches instantly stands out. Richard Williams is a tennis parent who despises the usual tennis parent histrionics. At the time the film is set, in the early 90s, he has also coached Venus (Saniyya Sidney, Fences) and Serena (Demi Singleton, Godfather of Harlem) since they were four years old, and penned a 78-page plan mapping out their futures before they were born. He's dedicated his life to their success; however, he's so restless when they're volleying and backhanding that he can't bring himself to watch. These scenes in King Richard are among Smith's best. He's anxious yet determined, and lives the feeling like he's breathing it, in some of the movie's least blatantly showy and most quietly complex scenes as well. The Williams family patriarch has wisdom for all occasions, forged from a tough childhood in America's south, plus the hard work and hustle of turning Venus and Serena into budding champions, so he'd likely have something to say about the insights gleaned here: that you can tell oh-so-much about a person when they're under pressure but nobody's watching. If he was actively imparting this lesson to his daughters — five of them, not just the two that now have 30 Grand Slam singles titles between them — and they didn't glean it, he'd make them watch again. When they see Cinderella in the film, that's exactly what happens. But his courtside demeanour is teachable anyway, recognising how all the preparation and effort in the world will still see you tested over and over. King Richard mostly lobs around smaller moments, though — still life-defining for the aforementioned trio, matriarch Oracene (Aunjanue Ellis, Lovecraft Country) and the rest of the Williams brood, but before Venus and Serena became women's tennis superstars. It unpacks the effort put in to even get them a game, set or match and be taken seriously in a sport that's whiter than the lines marking out its courts, and the chances, sacrifices and wins of their formative years. From cracked Compton courts and homemade hype videos to seizing every hard-earned opportunity: that's the tale that King Richard tells. But, despite making a clear effort to pose this as a family portrait rather than a dad biopic, it still shares an approach with Joe Bell, director Reinaldo Marcus Green's prior film. It bears one man's name, celebrates him first and makes him the centre of someone else's exceptional story. In screenwriter Zach Baylin's debut script, Richard's aim is simple: get Venus and Serena to racquet-swinging glory by any means. His DIY tapes are bait for a professional coach, but attracting one is easier said than done for a working-class Black family without country club connections facing America's inbuilt racism and class clashes, and tennis' snobbery — even if Richard knows his daughters will reach their goals. A turning point comes when, after strolling into a practice match between Pete Sampras and John McEnroe, Richard convinces renowned coach Paul Cohen (Tony Goldwyn, Scandal) to watch his kids play and take on Venus for free. While she's swiftly impressing on the junior circuit, her dad becomes concerned about her psychological and emotional wellbeing, so he next works his persuasive act on Florida-based coach Rick Macci (Jon Bernthal, The Many Saints of Newark) — with a strict no-competition rule. Read our full review. LIMBO Describing a dance and a state of uncertainty alike, limbo is one of those always-intriguing words. Many terms boast multiple meanings, but this one skirts two ends of the spectrum — the party-fuelled joy of a parade of people trying to pass under a bar while bending over backwards, and the malaise of being stuck waiting and not knowing. Both require a degree of flexibility, though, to either complete physical feats or weather the fickleness of life (or, in limbo's religious usage, of being caught in an oblivion between heaven and hell). It's no wonder then that British writer/director Ben Sharrock chose the word for his second feature, following 2015's Pikadero. His Limbo lingers in a realm where men are made to contort themselves, biding one's time anticipating a decision is the status quo and feeling like you've been left in a void is inescapable. The fancy footsteps here are of the jumping-through-hoops kind, as Limbo ponders a revelatory question: what happens when refugees are sent to a Scottish island to await the results of their asylum applications? There's zero doubting how telling the movie's moniker is; for Syrian musician Omar (Amir El-Masry, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker) and his fellow new arrivals to Scotland, there's little to do in this emptiness between the past and the future but wait, sit at the bus stop, check out the children's playground and loiter near the pay phone. That, and navigate the wide range of reactions from the locals, which veer from offensive to thoughtful. Everything about the situation demands that Omar and his companions make all the expected moves, but it also forces them to potter around in purgatory and stomach whatever is thrown at them to do so. In Omar's case, he's made the trip with an actual case — physically, that is, thanks to his prized possession. He's brought his grandfather's oud with him, which he rarely lets slip from his grasp, and so he feels its weight where he goes. It's a canny part of Limbo's script in two ways. Whatever they're fleeing in search of a better life, every refugee has a case to be welcomed into safer lands that they carry around with them, but Sharrock manifests the idea in a tangible sense. With Omar's musical dreams, which the beloved oud also represents, in limbo as well, the ever-present instrument additionally acts as a constant reminder of the sacrifices that asylum seekers make in leaving their homes, even when there's no other option, and the costs they pay when they're met with less-than-open arms, then left waiting for their new existence to begin. Just as the term limbo means so much, so does that oud — and so does the feature it's in. A film can be heartbreaking, tender, insightful and amusing all at once, and Limbo is indeed all of those things. It's both dreamlike and lived-in, too, a blend that suits its title and story — and also the mental and emotional state shared by Omar and his other asylum seekers as they eke out their hope and resilience day after unchanging day, all while roaming and roving around an island that may as well be another world. The Scottish landscape around them looks like it could grace a postcard, and Sharrock has cinematographer Nick Cooke (Make Up) box it into an almost-square frame to make it resemble vacation snaps. That choice of 1.33:1 aspect ratio also confines the movie's characters in another fashion, of course, offering a blatant visual flipside to the holiday-perfect splendour; being trapped anywhere is bleak, even if it appears picturesque. Read our full review. GOLD Gold's title doubles as an exclamation that Australian filmmakers might've made when Zac Efron decamped to our shores at the beginning of the pandemic. Only this outback-set thriller has put the High School Musical, Bad Neighbours and Baywatch star to work Down Under, however, and he definitely isn't in Hollywood anymore. Instead, he's stuck in "some time, some place, not far from now…", as all-caps text advises in the movie's opening moments. He's caught in a post-Mad Max-style dystopia, where sweltering heat, a visible lack of shelter, a cut-throat attitude, water rationing, and nothing but dirt and dust as far as the eye can see greets survivors navigating a rusty wasteland. But then his character, Man One, spots a glint, and all that glisters is indeed gold — and he must guard it while Man Two (Anthony Hayes, also the film's director) seeks out an excavator. Exactly who stays and who goes is the subject of heated discussion, but Gold is an economical movie, mirroring how its on-screen figures need to be careful about every move they make in such unforgiving surroundings. As a filmmaker, helming his first feature since 2008's Ten Empty, Hayes knows his star attraction — and he's also well-aware of the survivalist genre, and its history, that he's plonking Efron into. Almost every male actor has been in one such flick or so it can seem, whether Tom Hanks is talking to a volleyball in Castaway, Liam Neeson is communing with wolves in The Grey or Mads Mikkelsen is facing frosty climes in Arctic. Although Gold purposefully never names its setting, Australia's vast expanse is no stranger to testing its visitors, too, but Hayes' version slips in nicely alongside the likes of Wake in Fright, The Rover and Cargo, rather than rips them off. The reason such tales persist is pure human nature — we're always battling against the world around us, even if everyday folks are rarely in such extreme situations — and, on-screen, because of the performances they evoke. Efron isn't even the first import to get stranded in sunburnt country in 2022, after Jamie Dornan did the same in TV miniseries The Tourist, but he puts in a compellingly internalised performance. Man One's minutes, hours and days guarding an oversized nugget pass with sparing sips of H20, attempts to build a shelter and altercations with the locals, including of the two-legged, canine, insect and arachnid varieties, and the toll of all this time alone builds in Efron's eyes and posture. His face crackles from the sun, heat and muck, but his portrayal is as much about enduring as reacting, as both Efron and Hayes savvily recognise. Writing with costumer-turned-scribe Polly Smyth as well as directing solo, Hayes puts more than just survival on Gold's mind, though: when the titular yellow precious metal is involved, greed is rarely good. Here, staying alive at any cost is all about striking it rich at any cost, and also about the paranoia festering between two new acquaintances who've randomly stumbled upon a life-changing windfall — as heightened by the film's stark, harsh, post-apocalyptic setup. When a third person (Susie Porter, Ladies in Black) enters the scenario, Gold grimly lets its life-or-death and lucky break elements keep clashing, but also pairs Man One's desperation with the mental decline that blistering in the sun, being parched with thirst and starving with hunger all bring. Greed proves perilous in a plethora of ways in the film's frames, including inside its main character's head. Read our full review. THE 355 They're globe-hopping, ass-kicking, world-saving spies, but women: that's it, that's The 355. When those formidable ladies are played by a dream international cast of Jessica Chastain (Scenes From a Marriage), Lupita Nyong'o (Us), Penélope Cruz (Pain and Glory), Diane Kruger (In the Fade) and Fan Bingbing (I Am Not Madame Bovary), the tickets should sell themselves — and Chastain, who suggested the concept and produces, wasn't wrong for hoping that. Giving espionage moves the female-fronted spin that Bond and Mission: Impossible never have isn't just this action-thriller's quest alone, of course, and nothing has done so better than Atomic Blonde recently, but there's always room for more. What The 355 offers is an average affair, though, rather than a game-changer, even if it so evidently wants to do for its genre what Widows did for heist flicks. The film still starts with men, too, causing all the globe's problems — aka threatening to end life as we know it via a gadget that can let anyone hack anything online. One nefarious and bland mercenary (Jason Flemyng, Boiling Point) wants it, but the CIA's gung-ho Mason 'Mace' Browne (Chastain) and her partner Nick Fowler (Sebastian Stan, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) head to Paris to get it from Colombian intelligence officer Luis Rojas (Édgar Ramírez, Jungle Cruise), who's gone rogue and is happy to sell; however, German operative Marie Schmidt (Kruger) is also on its trail. The French connection goes wrong, the two women get in each other's ways, but it's apparent — begrudgingly to both — that they're better off together. They need ex-MI6 cyber whiz Khadijah Adiyeme (Nyong'o) to help, while Colombian psychologist Graciela Rivera (Cruz) gets drawn in after making the trip to stop Luis going off the books. No stranger to covert affairs or formidable women after penning Mr and Mrs Smith, but helming only his second movie following the awful X-Men: Dark Phoenix, director/co-writer Simon Kinberg spreads the action across several continents — including a foot chase in Marrakesh and an auction in Shanghai, which is where Lin Mi Sheng (Fan) joins the story. Scripting with TV veteran Theresa Rebeck (Smash), his big setpieces all play with the film's gender focus, mostly dissecting how women are so often overlooked in various situations; the indifference given wait staff, the invisibility of women in male-dominated societies and the way they're meant to be pure eye candy at black-tie occasions all earn the movie's ire. But these sentiments, like everything else in the feature, are blatant and straightforward at best. The mood the movie vibes with: "James Bond never had to deal with real life," as Cruz is given the misfortune of uttering. The 355 should be better — with its dialogue, clearly; with its girl-power, girl-boss, girls-can-do-anything messaging; and at celebrating more than five women, or even showing them. (If you were going to pick five ladies to do the job, though, this casting is spot-on.) It could use a sense of style and charm beyond Nyong'o's suits and the gang's personality-matched auction outfits, and its over-edited action scenes put Kinsberg two for two with tanking a crucial part of his directorial efforts to-date. Women can star in mediocre action movies as well, however. That isn't meant to be the picture's big push for gender parity, but The 355 is also exactly what seemingly millions of bland men-led actioners have been serving up for decades upon decades. It packages it up in an Ocean's 8-meets-Bourne approach, or a more self-serious Charlie's Angels, but these run-of-the-mill flicks have long been everywhere, just without as much oestrogen. The Bond and Mission: Impossible franchises have their own, too. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26; and January 1 and January 6. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man and Red Rocket.
UPDATE: September 24, 2020: The Dead Don't Die is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play and YouTube Movies. What's left to say about zombies? We've had the genre-defining (Night of the Living Dead), the satirical (Dawn of the Dead), the comedic (Shaun of the Dead) and the fast (28 Days Later), plus the slow and romantic (Warm Bodies), the televised (The Walking Dead), and the animated and child-friendly (ParaNorman). We've even had undead Nazis (Dead Snow). In cinema alone, there's been 500-plus zombie films since Victor Halperin's White Zombie way back in 1932, so it's fair to say that genre's brains and heart have been sucked dry. It's almost as if, were the dead actually to rise in 2019, we'd be borderline blasé about it — which brings us to The Dead Don't Die. Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, it's a predictably deadpan (ahem) take on zombie films from the opening scene to the last — a story so laconic that it consistently flirts with tedium (but only really lapses into that territory in its final stages). It also boasts a phenomenal cast of Jarmusch regulars, including Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloe Sevigny and Steve Buscemi. Joined by Danny Glover, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Sara Driver, RZA, Selena Gomez and Tom Waits, they almost all play larger-than-life characters within the sleepy nowhere town of Centreville. Jarmusch has always given his characters both time and room to breathe, and The Dead Don't Die provides perhaps the best example. The slow, breezy and downright folksy interactions of his townspeople are a patient delight, often with pauses so long between replies it's like the entire cast of Fargo took sedatives. Be it Glover's kindly hardware store owner, Buscemi's racist farmer or Caleb Landry Jones's film-obsessed petrol attendant, they're a quirky yet homogenous community of oddballs and outsiders, around whom the story takes its time to form. The standouts are Murray and Driver as Cliff and Ronnie — two-thirds of Centreville's police force and the intermittent Greek chorus of the film. Driver puts in one of his best performances to date, at once shrewd enough to identify zombies as the likely culprits behind some recent killings, while still oblivious to most human sensitivities around him. Murray is in endearing grandfather-esque territory, even if he's not as funny as usual. Together, they hold the threadbare conceit in place when few others could've (polar fracking has knocked the earth off its axis, so... zombies). Where the film falters, however, is in its self-referential tone. Periodically shattering the fourth wall, Cliff and Ronnie reference The Dead Don't Die's theme song, screenplay and director without any clear reason as to why. The first time is amusing enough, with Murray wondering why the tune on the radio sounds so familiar (answer: it just played during the film's titles), but from that point onwards, the device offers little more than a distraction. The movie's deadpan approach also suffers because of its one clear exception — Chloe Sevigny's Mindy, the third cop in the trio. Oscillating between fear, horror and confusion, her reaction to the zombie uprising is far more appropriate, but cast against Murray and Driver's apathy, it feels hysterical and out of place. Then there's Tilda Swinton's character. We won't spoil it, but her arc is so bonkers, it's a wonder that it was allowed to occur at all. Overall, this is a tough one to reconcile. The comedy is great, as are the performances, but the story is obtuse at best — and only weakens the longer it goes on. As a genre piece, it's definitely a Jarmusch-directed zombie film, but it isn't distinctive enough in any one respect to stand out from the other hundreds of undead offerings. Mellow for some, underwhelming for others, The Dead Don't Die will split audiences like its ghouls split spleens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brxU_Qi1eOM
Once a year, Melbourne zine-making and DIY-everything aficionado, Sticky Institute put on a magical, magical event: Festival of The Photocopier. Running for three days from February 6, this annual zine festival hosts over 100 stalls to peruse, live music, and a series of launches and talks. Whether you've been curious about this dynamic and welcoming sub-culture for years, or have been getting paper cuts ever since your collage-poetry days in primary school, this is the perfect time to immerse yourself in all things zine. If you haven't seen it before, Sticky is well worth a trip. Tucked under Flinders Street Station in the Degraves Subway, this small zine shop stocks the best hand-made small run magazines from both Australia and New Zealand. But, Festival of the Photocopier is their Woodstock. During the festival, the State Library will run a tour of their highly secretive and exceptionally cool zine collection. There's an opening party at Old Bar featuring The Cult .45s, Boatbuilder and The Girl Fridas. And, if that's not enough, zine academic — yep, they exist — Dr Anna Poletti, will give a guided tour of the fair at the Melbourne Town Hall for some off-the-scale insider knowledge. Check out more about the launch party here and read the full festival program on the Sticky Blog.
A new exhibition coming to Melbourne in September will shine a light on the one and only Kylie Minogue. On display at the Arts Centre from late September until the end of January, Kylie on Stage will celebrate the popstar's illustrious career as a singer and performer, featuring costumes from more than a quarter-century of spectacular shows. The free exhibition will include frocks from as early as 1989's Disco in Dreams tour, and spans all the way up to last year's Kylie Kiss Me Once. The list of designers and fashion houses that've teamed-up with Kylie over the years includes Mark Burnett, John Galliano, Dolce & Gabbana and John Paul Gaultier — all of whose work you had better believe will make an appearance in the exhibition. In addition to the clothes themselves, the exhibition will feature designs, sketches, work drawings and photographs, as well as behind the scenes footage that charts the development of each costume.
"Are you making a documentary as well?" Louis Theroux asks the mysterious cameraman who has just appeared outside of his Los Angeles base and started recording his every move. It's a simple question, but it really couldn't sum up My Scientology Movie any better. The British broadcaster isn't all that surprised that he's being followed and filmed —in fact, when he put out an open call on Twitter seeking information for his latest movie, he was warned that it might happen. The organisation established by sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard and long-associated with Tom Cruise isn't known for being fond of scrutiny, after all. Theroux himself adopts a different approach: if you can't film 'em, pretend to join 'em. That could be why the Church of Scientology isn't too pleased about his movie. After Theroux's requests to interview head honchos are either ignored or rejected, and his attempts to gain access to their LA headquarters rebuffed, the filmmaker teams up with disgruntled former church bigwig Mark "Marty" Rathbun and decides to get a little creative. Keen to understand what it's really like to believe in thetans, Xenu, auditing and dianetics, he turns to actors to play current leader David Miscavige and even the couch-jumping Cruise in a series of recreations. What follows is a somewhat humorous, somewhat disturbing chronicle of a journalist pursuing a story while he himself is being pursued, interspersed with approximated scenes featuring the kind of unsettling behaviour that helped inspire Theroux's investigation in the first place. In light of the former, the outlandish nature of the latter won't shock anyone — particularly those who have seen Alex Gibney's recent Scientology expose Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, or even Paul Thomas Anderson's thinly-veiled fictional effort The Master. Not knowing whether to laugh or just stare at the screen with your jaw agape is an understandable reaction — helming docos about everything from evangelist Christians and Indian gurus to neo-Nazis and sex offenders has clearly prepared Theroux well. Here, the veteran filmmaker brings his own unique twist to the re-staging techniques that proved so effective in Joshua Oppenheimer's brutal Indonesian genocide documentary The Act of Killing. But My Scientology Movie is more than just a curio fuelled by curiosity. As strange as they sometimes are, every scene helps build a probing portrait of the psychology behind Scientology. Recollections offered by Rathbun and other Church defectors help, but there's nothing quite like seeing the reality, or at least a recreation of it. Showing rather than telling suits both Theroux and his chosen subject well, and makes for a bizarre, funny and downright fascinating final product.
If Sad Affleck didn't already exist, Live By Night might've made the meme happen anyway. The actor rarely appears particularly engaged in the prohibition-era gangster flick — and given that he's not just the star, but the writer-director too, that's a little bit of a problem. Sure, the plot throws up plenty of reasons for his sorrowful expression, and yes, brooding over what it means to be a man living a life of crime requires an absence of smiles. Still, Affleck largely just looks lost and glum rather than convincingly conflicted or troubled. To make matters even more trying for audiences, he also can't seem to tear the camera away from his own face. Live By Night isn't the first time Affleck has directed himself, with The Town and Oscar-winner Argo both listed on his resume. Thanks to the former, it's not the first time he has pondered masculinity and violence, or the difficulties of trying to do the right thing by the wrong means. Staying in well-worn territory, his latest flick is also his second adaptation of a novel by Dennis Lehane, with the author penning the book that Affleck's excellent helming debut, Gone Baby Gone, was based on. They say that familiarity breeds contempt, but what it really inspires here is a movie that matches his on-screen look: poised and polished, but bland from top to bottom. When the film first introduces Affleck's character, World War I veteran Joe Coughlin, it's with an anti-authoritarian attitude; "I left a soldier, I came home an outlaw" his voiceover bluntly offers. Discovering just how far down that path the Boston crook will go is one of the aims of the game, along with probing the darker side of the American dream. At first, Coughlin just wants little more than to break the rules and bed a hotshot mobster's mistress (Sienna Miller). But when his romantic bliss ends, he switches to revenge and bootlegging booze in Tampa. An alliance with the local Cuban population, including his new girlfriend Graciela (Zoe Saldana), earns the ire of the Ku Klux Klan, while trying to build a casino draws opposition from a wannabe actress turned born-again preacher (Elle Fanning). There's no shortage of plot driving Live By Night as it meanders through its 129-minute running time. As forces of good and evil clash in a variety of ways, Coughlin wears a number of hats (literally and figuratively), firmly establishing that a well-meaning gangster's existence is painted in shades of grey. Of course, if you've seen The Godfather, Goodfellas or any other American effort in the genre, you've already toyed with these themes more than once. Other than following in their footsteps, there's not much more this movie has to offer. That's not to say that the project is entirely without merit. Though he keeps frowning in front of the camera, Affleck finds some much-needed directorial spark in the film's late shootouts — so much so that you'll wish that he'd done so much earlier. Set in the 1920s, Live By Night also looks the sumptuous part, but sadly that attention to detail doesn't extend to the supporting characters. The less said not only about Saldana's thankless, throwaway role, but Chris Messina's exaggerated performance as a supposedly comic offsider, the better. Although even then, they still seem less miserable than Affleck.
So it turns out there is such a thing as a free lunch. In the lead up to their larger event at Werribee Park in January, the folk behind So Frenchy So Chic are hosting a pop-up picnic in Treasury Gardens, and the victuals are on them. Be one of the first 150 people to turn up at 10am on Wednesday, December 10 and you’ll find yourself dining on a gourmet mini-hamper gratuit. Whipped up by fine food company Simmone Logue, each lunch will be made up of a traditional baguette, packed with poached chicken, toasted walnuts, mayonnaise, roasted tomato and watercress, with dessert in the form of a summery apple frangipane tart. To keep your thirst quenched, Melbourne-based beverage creators Capi will be supplying you with their clean, natural, carbonated refreshments. Of course, it wouldn't be a So Frenchy So Chic affair without music. SFSC's 2015 double album, released on November 28, will be soundtracking the picnic, with its compilation of tunes from the world's best emerging and established French-speaking musicians. It's a multifarious mix of alt-folk, country, rock, hip hop and electro-pop. So Frenchy So Chic proper will be happening on Sunday, January 11, at Werribee Park. Headliners include La Femme, Frànçois and the Atlas Mountains, Emilie Simon and The Dø. Find the So Frenchy So Chic pop-up picnic at Treasure Gardens (near Parliament and Spring Street) this Wednesday, December 10. Get. There. Early.
After more than two weeks without any new COVID-19 cases, and the final active case now recovered, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that New Zealand will transition to the lowest possible alert level from midnight Monday, 8 June. All current rules and social distancing restrictions will essentially be lifted. The move means that gatherings of any size are allowed to take place, restaurants and bars can operate as usual without seating limitations, and large public spaces including retail outlets and cinemas won't be required to count heads. Alert Level 1 also sees everyone being able to return without restriction to work, school, sports and domestic travel. Stringent border controls remain for those entering New Zealand, including health screening and testing for all arrivals, and mandatory 14-day managed quarantine or isolation. Which, sadly for Australians, means the trans-Tasman travel isn't quite on the cards — yet. First floated back in back in late-April, the 'travel bubble' was flagged as a potential in step three of Australia's COVID-recovery road map, which could come into place as early as July. Last week, though, when asked about opening NZ to Australian tourists, Ardern said told 7 News reporters: "We're on a great track. Australia is still dealing with cases, so just a little bit more progress is required...It's fair to say we are all eager, but we're eager to do it safely." Australia currently has 455 active cases out of a total 7260. While travel to NZ may still be off the cards for now, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee — which advises the government on decisions during health emergencies, such as pandemics — is meeting today to discuss "stage three and beyond" of the road map, so it's possible we could find out about other eased restrictions relatively soon. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Australia, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Few could deny the cinematic juggernaut that is the Marvel machine right now. In just the past decade we've had one Captain America, two Hulks, three Iron Men, four Spidermen and five X-Men movies, to say nothing of 2012's billion-dollar blockbuster The Avengers. In a few weeks another Captain America film hits cinemas, but opening this week is the second instalment from yet another Avengers spinoff, Thor: The Dark World. The original Thor was released in 2011 and, under the direction of Kenneth Branagh, proved equal parts action and comedy as the impossibly-ripped Chris Hemsworth hammered his way through hordes of alien something-or-others then saved Earth. Two years later he's back, hammering his way through all-new hordes of alien something-or-others by day, whilst pining for his human, earth-dwelling girlfriend, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), by night. When she inadvertently releases an ancient mystical threat, the two star-crossed (or rather Bifrost) lovers are reunited, forced to evade and then confront yet another horde of aliens, known as the Dark Elves. As appealing and charming as Hemsworth is in the lead, once again it's Tom Hiddleston as the mischievous Loki who proves himself the franchise's most charismatic and essential figure, grinning through clenched teeth and staring with burning intensity as the world around him crumbles. There is more depth to his character than all the others combined; a petulant villain seething with jealousy yet privately vulnerable and burdened with unspoken regret. Hiddleston's sublime performance manages to draw focus even when there's a full-blown, four-alarm CGI clusterfuck going on around him, and in this film that's a common occurrence. Humour has always played a key part in the Marvel franchises, and — as with the original Thor — The Dark World derives most of its comedy from 'Norse-demigod-out-of-water' scenarios, this time juxtaposing the majesty of Thor with the banality of London's daily grind. It's missing the deftness of Branagh's touch, and while it doesn't play for laughs quite as often, those that feature generally land firmly. In some cases, exquisitely so. Most importantly, though, Thor: The Dark World is a fun film to watch. The script is snappy, the action sequences are well paced and the final battle in Greenwich offers up a diabolical, Portal-like component that brings an exciting new meaning to 'war of the worlds'. Portman is more likeable this time round, too, dropping much of the goofy, doe-eyed traits that felt so out of place for an actress of her calibre in the original. Lastly, Thor: The Dark World features not one, but two post-credits scenes, giving fans twice as many reasons to stay seated and discover who performed 'Key Grip' on set. https://youtube.com/watch?v=npvJ9FTgZbM
The Kite String Tangle is the project of Brisbane-bred alternative electronic artist and producer Danny Harley. After being unearthed by Triple J last year and generating some serious buzz at Falls Festival, he is continuing strong into 2014 with a national tour scheduled for February. Inspired by the dreamy and atmospheric soundscapes of artists like Active Child, The Kite String Tangle offers a combination of ethereal pop and ambient electronica. The harmonic and hand-crafted textures of tunes such as 'Given the Chance' are rallying public and critical attention, having just made it into the Triple J Hottest 100 at No.19. Before heading to the states in March to play several showcases for SXSW, Harley's national run-around is already sporting some sold-out labels. However, additional shows have been added in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. You won't want to miss this upcoming Australian producer weaving his musical magic. https://youtube.com/watch?v=6qBwQtTHu4g
As one half of creative duo Frank & Mimi, Emily Devers has spent years exploring the artistic nooks and crannies of Brisbane — and left her mark on several of them as well. The artist, who trained at QUT, has been making large-scale murals with signwriter Rick Hayward since 2011, and their works can now be seen splashed across the bridge of the Pillars Project gallery as well as Doomben Station, Newstead Brewing Co and the Golden Pig. In partnership with Pullman Hotels and Resorts, we're helping you explore more on your next holiday and make sure you get those experiences that the area's most switched-on residents wouldn't want their visitors to miss. In Brisbane, we've called in Emily, whose favourite spots range from a gallery that's helped uncover the the state's best street artists to the second-hand bookstore that's a joy to explore. A stay at Pullman's King George Square hotel in Brisbane — located in the centre of the city and just a stroll over the Victoria Bridge from South Bank — will not only put you in the thick of all this action, it will let you contemplate all you've seen in five-star luxury at the end of the day. Read on for Emily's top Brisbane art and design hot spots in her own words, and check out the rest of our Explore More content series to hone your itinerary for some of Australia's best holiday destinations. WANDERING COOKS What feels like a secret warehouse tucked away down Fish Lane, Wandering Cooks houses some of Brisbane's most exciting food ventures. They're a beaut community of like-minded entrepreneurs, celebrating locally sourced produce, local kitchen legends and an impressive low-intervention drinks menu. It's my pick for a low-key Friday night, followed by a wander to the river under the lights down Fish Lane. THE PILLARS PROJECT The Pillars Project is Brisbane's largest outdoor gallery, curated by Dan Brock. It's a great collection of large-scale artworks covering the pillars of Merivale Bridge in South Brisbane, showing visitors to Brisbane what our local artists are made of. It started in 2014 with nine artists painting under eight rail pillars, and the project has now grown to include a few more, including a Frank & Mimi piece. You can give it a wave coming along Montague Road! JUGGLERS ART SPACE A handful of prominent global street artists were born out of little ol' Brisbane, some of who (including Anthony Lister, Fintan Magee, Guido and Shida) spent their formative years exhibiting at Jugglers. We grew Frank & Mimi out of a small corner room in this iconic building. Brisbane's longest-running artist-run initiative (15 years now!), Jugglers addressed a serious shortage of exhibition, performance and studio spaces in Brisbane when it opened in 2002, and continues to provide an inclusive community space for cultural enquiry through art. QAGOMA The Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) is located across two adjacent buildings in Brisbane's South Bank. Celebrating the contemporary art of Australia, Asia and the Pacific, it is a must-see for anyone visiting Brisbane. Sydney-based architects Architectus are responsible for the incredible building design, a huge part of the reason why you should visit. If it's your first time, try and get to a GoMA Up Late evening, so you can view the art with a drink in your hand and some local music in your ears. Also be sure to check out the gallery stores — they feature a lot of Brisbane makers. ARTISAN Artisan is a gallery space and design store on Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley. They support design creatives from emerging talent to established Australian legends, and they also run regular workshops in everything from spoon carving to textile design and life drawing. Drop by to see the latest exhibition, but make enough time to do a full lap around the store — it shows off our city's best designers and makers. THE BRISBANE FINDERS KEEPERS MARKETS Currently on twice a year, Finders Keepers is a design market featuring the work of independent makers and designers from across Australia. We love keeping up with who's making what by visiting the Brisbane chapter. Walking through the stunning Old Museum rooms overflowing with beautiful hand made things has always been a weekend treat, though the market it soon to move to a new, bigger location at the Brisbane Showgrounds, The Marquee. ANALOGUE GALLERY Analogue Gallery is a creative-led exhibition space in Fortitude Valley.Run by a powerhouse crew including Brisbane Curator Holly Riding, Grace Dewar of First Coat Festival and Matt Haynes of The Design Conference, this unassuming little space is tucked under dive bar Greaser in the heart of the Valley. It has a regular pop-up exhibition program and provides a professional platform for local, regional and interstate artists to show their work to a dedicated crowd — rent and commission free. This one's a really easy way to support Brisbane' creative community on the first Thursday of every month. BENT BOOKS Bent Books on Boundary Street in West End is probably the most adorable second-hand bookshop in Brisbane. They've been around for over 20 years and some of our favourite art and design books (including a rare, early edition sho' card painting book) have come from there. The staff are always friendly and will take down your name and notes if you're seeking something specific. BRISBANE POWERHOUSE The Brisbane Powerhouse is a contemporary, multi-arts centre reborn out of an old power station from the 1920s. It's a one-stop shop for high-quality theatre, performance, visual art and music, and you'll always be able to find something to suit your creative mood. I recommend starting with an afternoon picnic at New Farm Park, taking a walk along the river and entering the building from there — that way you can see our addition to the permanent art collection on the way in! PADDINGTON ANTIQUE CENTRE The Antique Centre in Paddington is perhaps the most overstimulating place you could visit in Brisbane. Housed inside the heritage-listed Plaza Theatre on the main strip of Paddington, it was originally open for business in 1930. Since then, it's collected a whole bunch of Brisbane-based antique and retro stores and sells everything from flamingo light fittings to top hats and ball gowns. I recommend coffee and breakfast at Naïm around the corner before a wander through on a lazy Sunday morning. Explore more with Pullman. Book your next hotel stay with Pullman and enjoy a great breakfast for just $1.
Despite recently launching an all-day breakfast menu and ice cream sandwiches, we still think fries are the best thing about Lord of the Fries. And this Friday, March 8, and Sunday, March 17, the vegan fast food joint is giving away free serves of 'em. Free. Fries. To snag free fries on the Friday, head down to the new King Street store in the CBD between 12 and 1pm and you'll be gifted a bucket of deliciousness. You don't even have to purchase any vego nuggets to redeem them. If one bucket of fries is not enough for you fry fanatics, head back to the CBD store at 3pm, when the first 250 people will receive a bottomless chip cup — for endless free refills. The following Sunday, you'll need to head across to the new Docklands store between 12 and 2pm, when it'll be slinging free fries for all (once again, no purchase necessary). The first 250 customers will also receive a bottomless chip cup. You know the drill. Lord of the Fries is giving away free fries from midday–1pm on Friday, March 8, at 184 King Street, Melbourne; and from midday–2pm on Sunday, March 17, at 8 Star Circus, Shop G05, Docklands.
