If you live in Melbourne's north-eastern suburbs, then you've probably been waiting for the Mernda Rail Extension. It extends the existing line from Epping to South Morang, with a new rail line from South Morang to Mernda — and after announcing it was ahead of schedule earlier in the year, the Victorian government has opened the line to passengers. The $600 million project launches six months ahead of original plans. As part of the new line, three new stations are open at Mernda, Hawkstowe and Middle Gorge. They're expected to service up to 8000 commuters a day, easing road congestion in the area. In addition, a new shared pedestrian and bike path links the stations. Plus, new community spaces and a new skate park have been built around each of the three spots, located immediately south of Mernda Station, immediately north of Hawkstowe Station, and at The Parkway, adjacent to Mernda Park Primary School. While landscaping works will still need to be finalised around the stations in the coming months, commuters can start accessing new services from today, with 982 services connecting to the city every week from Mernda Station. To ensure that locals can access the new rail line, two new and seven realigned bus routes will also take passengers to the three new stations.
If you often rue the day in your adolescence that chicken nuggets became an unacceptable item to eat for dinner, well, Christmas has come early. On Saturday, October 26, Welcome to Thornbury will take fried chicken back to junk food basics and throw another Chicken Nugget Festival. The permanent food truck park will dedicate another weekend to nuggets this spring, putting nuggets in a bao, with doughnuts and even on a pizza. There'll be vegan nuggets, too, and Welcome to Thornbury will also be serving up a suitable range of dipping sauces and a slew of cocktails and beers. The full bite-sized fried chicken festival will be spread across two days, with the lineup starring Mr Burger, Donugs, Woking Amazing, Pizza Pony, Mamma Van and Sparrow's Philly Cheesesteaks. The festival kicks off at midday and runs til 10pm — and kids and dogs are welcome.
The Meatball and Wine Bar empire is built on two, equally weighty, premises — Melburnians love their meat and they especially love it in ball form. Those two truths have seen the MAWB phenomenon slowly take over the city, one quarter at a time, from before meatballs were popular right the way through until now now. And the meatball keeps rolling, this time all the way across the Yarra. They've just opened their new location on Windsor's Chapel Street, and while the venue isn't a completely new ball game, the menu has been tweaked. You can expect some new additions to the meatball menu and an emphasis on meatball salads. But don't worry, you'll still be able to order your fave pan-fried creamy gnocchi. The new venue occupies a heritage-listed building that previously inhabited by San Churro, with the reno carried out by ball-busters Techne Architects (who are responsible for Garden State, Prahran Hotel, Biggie Smalls and Jimmy Grants Eastland). And yes, they really went balls to the wall with this one. The redone site features seating for up to 60 with private dining booths, an outdoor area and cool marble benches. No sweat dripping down your balls in this venue, no sir! Ball doesn't sound like a word any more. Sorry for all the ball jokes. Anyway, there's now another Meatball And Wine Bar in Windsor and we really hope they keep opening them up because we've got so, so many more ball-related puns to get through. Find The Meatball And Wine Bar at 150 Chapel Street, Windsor, or visit their website for more information.
Often the most memorable Oscar moments occur between awards. Like the sight of watching Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o jump out of her seat to dance with Pharrell during his live performance of his hit single 'Happy'. Not to mention 18-time nominee Meryl Streep doing her best nonchalant shimmy-shimmy in Mr Williams' face. After storming the stage (in yet another one of those hats) with the incredibly upbeat number and his huge team of dancers, Pharrell must have noticed that a lot of the seated Hollywood crowd seemed a tad, shall we say, reluctant to stand up and get involved at the risk of looking stupid. Thankfully, Meryl’s loved to boogie ever since her days of rolling around idyllic Greek holiday resorts for Mamma Mia! and wasn’t afraid to pull a discreet dance move. And Nyong’o is presumably one of the most genuinely happy people at the ceremony considering the critical adoration she’s received for 12 Years a Slave. She went on to win in her category, Best Supporting Actress.
Books and good lighting have never seemed to go together. As a child I was always encouraged to read less, because "you'll ruin your eyes!" Clearly my parents never anticipated that glasses would become cool. Regardless, I spent most of my childhood reading in bad light, and I am now quietly smug that I have reached my early twenties and have never had a cavity despite refusing to drink milk, have curly hair without eating my crusts, and have perfect vision, unaided by optometrists, despite having spent most of my life with my head in a book. Now Swiss designer Boris Dennler, in his 2007 series of lamps entitled Livresse, is bringing books and good lighting together in one lovely, yet contradictory, invention. Dennler has chosen to re-purpose books, an item frequently overlooked when it comes to the world of interior lighting, and transform them into eco-friendly lamps. The books are turned into fully functional soft-lighting lamps without causing damage to the pages, and can be easily changed if you need to swap your Mills and Boon lamps for early French philosophers. The lamps are also portable, so you could easily freak people out by hanging them from the trees. Recycling at it's best. [Via Designboom]
Two inner-city Melbourne favourites are joining forces this weekend to help elevate your lockdown feasting game. East Melbourne's Hemingway's Wine Room is teaming up with good mates at CBD Italian spot Pentolina for a one-off finish-at-home banquet, available for pick up and delivery this Friday, October 15. A generous four-course feed for two, the $129 dinner pack features a roll-call of soul-warming Euro-accented dishes, plucked from the kitchens of both restaurants. You're in for the likes of a wine-poached chicken salad, Pentolina's spinach 'swallow's nest' pasta, whole rainbow trout en papillote (in a bag) teamed with green pea and jamon fricassee, and a rich tiramisu starring dulce de leche and almond praline. Pre-orders are open here until 10am on Thursday, October 14, unless they sell out earlier. You can arrange click-and-collect from either venue, or order for delivery across metro Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula, Gippsland, Geelong and Torquay.
Wearable art meets wearable music with this trendy idea from New York company Parte LLC. Playbutton is an mp3 player embedded in a badge, each one storing pre-recorded content like an album or mix-tape. Album artwork is printed on the badge, making your music taste an integral part of your fashion statement. Sure, you can't change the sequence of the music or download new content, but that's pretty much the entire idea. It's only fitting to hark back to older forms of music consumption (like listening to an entire album, rather than buying individual songs) when teaming it up with a retro-style fashion accessory. Each Playbutton weighs just 0.8 grams, making it 175 times smaller than a traditional iPod; and bands like Mount Eerie, Bubbles and Opening Ceremony are already on board. In fact all proceeds from the sales of Open Ceremony's Playbutton go to Musicians on Call, a non-profit in New York that brings live and recorded music to hospital patients who are unable to leave their beds. [Via NOTCOT]
Pablo Picasso jammed plenty of creativity into his 91-year life, including paintings, sculptures, prints, ceramics, stage design, plays, poetry and more. During the 1930s, he also etched and engraved a set of 100 pieces, in a series that was named after the art dealer who commissioned them: The Vollard Suite. Produced over an eight-year period, the collection takes inspiration from stories, tales and myths, as well as the human form, his mistress and politics at the time. In other words, it proves an artistic overview of his favoured themes and fascinations, while also offering an autobiography of sorts. It's the kind of intimate work that gives fans an insight into the Spanish master beyond his more famous pieces. As it happens, Canberra's National Gallery of Australia is one of the few institutions in the world to boast a complete set, and it's being so kind as to send the collection down our way for a spell. You'll be able to catch The Vollard Suite at the Ballarat Art Gallery for two months from February 22, 2019. Image: Pablo Picasso, Spain 1881 - France 1973, Minotaure aveugle guidé par une fillette dans la nuit. [Blind minotaur led by a little girl at night.] between 3-7 December and 31 December 1934, or 1 January 1935 from the Vollard Suite (97). Etching and scraper, printed in black ink. National Gallery of Australia. ©Succession Picasso. Licensed by Viscopy, 2017.
If you need to visit the CBD to pick up essentials or for medical needs — two of the reasons that Melburnians are allowed to head out under the city's current stage four stay-at-home restrictions, but only within five kilometres of home — you have one less thing to worry about: parking fees and fines. The City of Melbourne has announced that it is easing up on parking restrictions and costs in green sign parking bays, in line with State Government advice. The move will be in effect for the duration of the city's stage-four lockdown. That said, fees and restrictions will still apply to red sign parking bays — which includes disability parking spaces, if you don't have a permit; no stopping areas; tow-away clearways and loading zones. Enforcement will also apply in any other situation where a vehicle creates a risk to public safety or access, regardless of whether the car is in a green sign or red sign parking bay. So, while you you will be able to park without paying a cent in plenty of places, you'll still cop a fine for blocking driveways, clearways and lanes, parking too close to an intersection or parking in a disability bay without the proper permit. https://twitter.com/cityofmelbourne/status/1294119991696961537 The council also said, "We ask everyone to be mindful of the importance of vehicle turnover to support people needing to access essential services and businesses." While there are now less people out and about, and fewer cars on the streets, it's certainly not a time to be a carpark hog. That said, if you're heading out, ensure that you're following the stage-four requirements — and that you're wearing a mask. For more information the City of Melbourne's stage-four parking enforcement changes, head to its website.
Throw those GoPros, bubble bottles and novelty gumboots in your rucksack, Splendour in the Grass is returning to North Byron Parklands for another year of festival merriment. As usual, rumours have run wild in anticipation of the lineup announce, but the details for Splendour 2017 are finally here. And we're happy to report that some of the rumours were true. As announced by triple j, there's no Lorde or Frank Ocean, but LCD bloody Soundsystem will be Splendouring — it will be the reunited band's first return to Australia since they played Big Day Out back in 2011. The lineup also doesn't state that Splendour is their only show, so stay tuned for news of a national tour (hopefully). It also seems that, happily, the predictions for The xx and Queens of the Stone Age were correct too. Joining them is one heck of a lineup that includes HAIM, RL Grime, Banks and Two Door Cinema Club, along with Future Islands and LA hip hip artist Schoolboy Q, who will be doing one-off Australian shows at the festival. Australian artists on the bill include Tash Sultana, King Gizzard, D.D Dumbo, Dune Rats, A.B Original, Big Scary and more. Anyway, we know what you're here for. We'll cut to the chase. SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2017 LINEUP The xx Queens of the Stone Age LCD Soundsystem Royal Blood HAIM Sigur Rós ScHoolboy Q (only Aus show) Vance Joy Two Door Cinema Club Peking Duk RL Grime Bonobo Father John Misty Catfish and the Bottlemen Tash Sultana Paul Kelly Stormzy King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard George Ezra Future Islands (only Aus show) Banks Bernard Fanning Dune Rats Cut Copy Ásgeir Allday Meg Mac Rag 'N' Bone Man Thundamentals Lil' Yachty San Cisco Client Liaison Real Estate Dan Sultan Vallis Alps D.D Dumbo Maggie Rogers Tove Lo POND Big Scary The Smith Street Band Oh Wonder A.B. Original Dope Lemon The Kite String Tangle Young Franco Julia Jacklin Kingswood Amy Shark Luca Brasi The Lemon Twigs Vera Blue Slumberjack Bad//Dreems Bag Raiders Topaz Jones Middle Kids Ocean Grove Confidence Man Bishop Briggs Late Nite Tuff Guy Julien Baker Kilter Lany Hockey Dad Kirin J Callinan Airling Cosmo's Midnight Gretta Ray Moonbase The Peep Tempel Tornado Wallace The Murlocs Mallrat Luke Million The Wilson Pickers Romare Jarrow Good Boy Kuren Oneman Winston Surfshirt Set Mo HWLS Harvey Sutherland and Bermuda CC:Disco! Enschway DJHMC Nite Fleit Alice Ivy Willow Beats Willaris. K Mookhi Plus... Swindail Dena Amy Andy Garvey Planète Sam Weston Super Cruel Christopher Port Lewis Cancut Kinder plus triple j Unearthed winners Splendour will return to North Byron Parklands on Friday 21, Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 July. Onsite camping will once again be available from Wednesday, July 19. Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 6 at 9am sharp AEST. More info will soon be available at the official Splendour In The Grass site. Image: Bianca Holderness.
Dig out the Thai fisherman pants from the back of your closet, Woodford Folk Festival is back for another year. If you've never been, Woodford is the perfect place to disconnect from the daily grind, become one with nature (read: mud) and check out some of Australians best musicians with a chilled and festive vibe. This year's offering is no exception; the lineup has 'best summer ever' written all over it. Festival mainstays like The Cat Empire and Lior will be back once again. They will also be joined by an A-list crowd of Australian ladies like Kate Miller-Heidke, Bertie Blackman, and Mia Dyson. But the real crowdpleaser will come from The Violent Femmes. Who wouldn't want to listen to 'Blister in the Sun' while dancing in the wilderness in the height of summer? Bliss. Though The Violent Femmes may be a little past their prime, there will also be a bunch of up and coming musicians on stage. Husky and Hiatus Kaiyote will be representing Melbourne talent and The Cairos will be playing to what's basically a home crowd. With over 400 acts jammed into the full program, Woodford is all about discovering new sounds. As well as music, the festival covers visual arts, circus, comedy, vaudeville and dance. Set up camp, let your hair get knotty, and roam the makeshift tarpaulin towns of this super chilled festival. It's time to channel your inner hippy. WOODFORD FOLK FESTIVAL 2014 LINEUP: Archie Roach Bertie Blackman The Cairos The Cat Empire Christine Anu Darren Middleton (ex-Powderfinger) Del Barber The East Pointers Hiatus Kiayote Husky Jeff Lang Jenn Grant John Smith Kate Miller-Heidke Lau Led Kaapana Lior Matt Anderson Mia Dyson Nahko and Medicine for the People Shooglenifty Sticky Fingers Tiny Ruins The Topp Twins Violent Femmes We Two Thieves Woodford Folk Festival is on from December 27 - January 1. Tickets are on sale now.
You may think you have a good handle on David Attenborough docos by now. He waltzes into an amazing natural landscape, dispels an extraordinary amount of knowledge on Everything in the Entire World, and promptly films something incredibly disgusting or depressingly ruthless. I think we're all still trying to forget that time he narrated hermaphroditic slug sex. Nevertheless, his latest venture is set to blow your mind all over again. Returning to Australia in November, this legendary, knighted filmmaker is filming his latest work in 3D at the Great Barrier Reef. Intended as a three-part series, Attenborough is excited about the possibilities of filming underwater in 3D. "People will think ‘for God’s sake not another program on the Barrier Reef. Haven’t we done enough?’ But underwater is a marvellous subject for 3D, I mean it really is absolutely breathtaking," he told The Herald Sun, sporting his trademark British charm. But honestly, we have no idea why Attenborough feels the need to convince us. While we've felt a little tired with the gimmick of 3D in recent years, this is the type of work the technology was made for. Attenborough won't be diving himself — give him a break, he's 88 years old — but he will be exploring the reef with the help of new underwater equipment that renders an incredibly high resolution. Though nothing has been released about the content of the series, Attenborough will more than likely be covering the political and environmental problems the reef has faced in recent times as well as its friendly fauna. It's a topic that has been in the news once again with #fightforthereef emerging on everyone's Twitter feeds earlier this year. Between global warming, the threat of coal ports in surrounding areas, and questionable preservation practices from the state and federal governments, the World Heritage listed site has faced a lot of problems in recent years. Documentary filming begins in November, but we won't know how far off the actual film is for months yet. Regardless, get ready to be transported directly to the heart of all your underwater Disney dreamlands. This is going to be well worth the IMAX money. Via The Herald Sun. Photo credits: ciamabue, stuandgravy, robdownunder, richard ling, richard ling via photopin cc.
The truth is out there, and this year's Melbourne Fringe Festival is on a mission to hunt it down. The annual boundary-pushing arts fiesta has dropped its loaded 2019 program, embracing the hard-hitting theme 'in search of the truth'. Descending on the city from September 12–29, Melbourne Fringe is set to deliver its signature diverse spread of talent, this time cramming over 455 eye-opening events into the calendar. It's also debuting its brand-new home at Trades Hall, one of a huge 140 venues playing host to this year's Fringe festivities. You'd best start plotting your festival experience now, because there's a whole lot here to tickle one's fancy. The USA's Cause Collective will be doing some digging with its pop-up photobooth confessional, a live art piece that has visitors responding on camera to the prompt "the truth is…". The oft-revealing answers will then be featured in a public exhibition at Chapel off Chapel. A jam-packed comedic lineup promises to throw down some hard truths of its own, from the hilarious tale of self-discovery that is Mormon Girl, to a stand-up show packed full of fresh material from legendary funnyman Jimeoin. Meanwhile, homegrown burlesque star Moira Finucane stars as an apocalyptic snow queen in internationally-acclaimed show The Rapture Chapter II: Art Vs Extinction. Elsewhere, you can get a little more hands on. Unearth hidden gems as part of roving outdoor audio experience Shrines and Half Truths, or perhaps embark on a smartphone-guided tour of Werribee lead by performance alchemists Binge Culture. Expect party vibes aplenty from heady circus cabaret piece Society, as well as a show-stopping riot of drag, music, circus and burlesque when Yummy Deluxe takes over the Fringe Hub at Trades Hall. The new digs will also play host to a program of lively fiestas, including a fittingly boisterous Janet Jackson tribute night, the city's best choirs singing 1999's best hits and a Fringe-style Grand Final do with the riotous Betty Grumble as host. Melbourne Fringe Festival runs from September 12–29. For more information, or to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
FOMO — Australia's clash-free, one-day summer festival — is back for a fifth year. This year, it's making its return to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and it has just dropped its full lineup. Texas-via-California rap collective Brockhampton is the first of multiple international acts to be announced for the event, which has previously hosted the likes of Nicki Minaj, Post Malone and Kali Uchis. Led by Kevin Abstract, and formed through an online forum, Brockhampton is a modern day boyband made up of rappers, directors, photographers, engineers, producers, graphic designers and DJs. The group last performed here in 2018, touring the country with Listen Out festival. [caption id="attachment_724680" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brockhampton[/caption] Joining Brockhampton will be Canadian producer Kaytranada, who's set to drop a new album before heading down under, and US rapper Lizzo, who'll be bringing her catchy hits 'Juice' and 'Truth Hurts' — as well as other bangers off her just-released album Cuz I Love You — to Aus for the first time ever in January. Other big names on the lineup include French singer Madeon, UK rapper Octavian and, from the local contingent, hip-hop artist Chillinit and Sydney producer Ninajirachi. While we've just hit winter here in Aus, we've also just hit festival announcement season, so expect a heap more summer music events to drop their lineups in the upcoming weeks — Spilt Milk and Grapevine Gathering have already dropped theirs, too. FOMO 2020 LINEUP Brockhampton Kaytranada Lizzo Madeon Jax Jones Octavian Rico Nasty Meduza Chillinit Whipped Cream Dombresky Ninajirachi Plus triple j Unearthed and local artists TBA FOMO 2020 DATES Saturday, January 4 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane Sunday, January 5 — Elder Park, Adelaide Saturday, January 11 — Parramatta Park, Sydney Sunday, January 12 — Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne FOMO will take place in January 2020. Pre-sale tickets are available from 9am on Wednesday, July 3 — you can sign-up for those here. GA Tickets will drop at 9am on Monday, July 8. Top images: Jordan Munns. Updated July 1.
Yeah, so this happened. Wellington pub The Green Man decided to go ahead and serve locally-brewed stout beer featuring a cheeky little amount of stag semen. While we're half-heartedly reeling and equally intrigued, we have a lot of questions. Responsible for this drinkable abomination are local Wellington brewers Choice Bros, probably looking for a little free publicity pre-Beervana. Well, they certainly got that. We're assured that the deer semen is "export quality", however that was judged. The stag was apparently "milked" and had a restful sleep afterwards. Warning, you might grab a sick bag for this next bit. According to the brewers, the stout beer apparently has a "creamy" mouthfeel. Ugh. "Everyone so far has swallowed and not spat… The beer itself is excellent. It’s a creamy chocolate stout with coffee notes. The semen… well that’s something you’ve got to experience to describe," pub director Steve Drummond, a man who clearly knows his sexual innuendo, told BuzzFeed. If you can believe it, this is not The Green Man's first time serving semen-infused bevs. Stuff reported that "In 2011 its apple-infused horse semen shots proved popular with women, while 2013 saw syringes of stag semen on offer." God help us all. After doing the calculations of the novelty factor to lifelong trauma ratio, we'd love to hear of any brave, disgusting souls who head down to The Green Man on Victoria Street in Wellington to try this horrific cocktail out. Please, show yourselves. Via BuzzFeed.
Fining guests for posting bad reviews of your Vanderbilt-built hotel? Might want to think twice on that poorly-formed brainwave and avoid giving internet reviewers a reason to unite. Union Street Guest House in Hudson, New York is doing exactly that. The Rockefeller/Vanderbilt estate hastily took down a controversial rule from its own website yesterday, according to Huffington Post. The super dumb, money-grabbing rule charged wedding guests (primarily the newlyweds themselves) for any bad reviews posted on review websites like Yelp and Trip Advisor. Yep. Apparently, as pointed out by the initial New York Post story on Monday, couples holding their wedding at the USGH would see a sneaky $500 deducted from their security deposit for each thumbs down posted online by their guests. After a few WTF inquiries, the hotel took to Facebook and pulled the ol' 'it was all a joke' card to quash the backlash, but then mysteriously that post went missing too. "The policy regarding wedding fines was put on our site as a tongue-in-cheek response to a wedding many years ago," read the Facebook post. "It was meant to be taken down and certainly was never enforced." Although it's no longer (obviously) up on the hotel's website, Business Insider snapped it up before it was lost to the ages. Here's what the rule read, seriously: If you have booked the Inn for a wedding or other type of event anywhere in the region and given us a deposit of any kind for guests to stay at USGH there will be a $500 fine that will be deducted from your deposit for every negative review of USGH placed on any internet site by anyone in your party and/or attending your wedding or event. Although the team attempted to put out the fire, the sparks had already flown. Over 500 angry reviewers threw the hotel major shade with the lowest possible rating, again and again and again. Although sites like Yelp delete reviews who haven't actually stayed in the venue up for review, the slams are still coming for USGH: Now Union Street Guest House's rating looks like this: Yikes. Think before you joke-fine. Via Business Insider, Huffington Post and New York Post.
Just like Ross and Rachel and all the other sitcom couples we've been way too invested in, the on-again off-again relationship between Uber and technical legality is the love affair of our time. And in the newest chapter of the saga, Uber is very much on again in NSW after the Baird government moved to legalise the beloved service. Yep, from midnight tonight Uber will be legal in the state of NSW, but not without some compromises. According to The Daily Telegraph, the taxi companies — playing the role of the jealous love rival in this narrative — will be compensated $20,000 per registered number plate. This might seem excessive, but the current cost to register as a cab is bonkers — in Victoria, metropolitan taxi rego currently sits at $22,703 per year. Under the new rule, Uber drivers will have to pay a license fee, although, how much that fee will be is yet to be determined. Normal taxis also get complete dibs of cab ranks (naturally) and Sydney Airport pick-ups. Guess we're still gonna have to drag out suitcases to the boundary of the airport to wait for an Uber, after all. NSW is the second Australian state to legalise Uber, following the ACT's ruling in October. It's a stark contrast to the other side of the border, where the Victorian government have just set a legal precedent that may effectively outlaw the ridesharing app. Although, there have been no signs of change yet — as all Victorian Uber users know, apart from some surging immediately after the news broke, the service has generally gone on unaffected. So what's going to happen to the landscape of private transport love now that Uber is a genuine competitor in NSW? What dramatic twists and turns can we expect next season? Stay tuned to find out. Via The Daily Telegraph.
Eli Manning and the Giants. Tom Brady and the Patriots. No, we're not talking indie alternative pop rock folk jam bands. We're talking football, of the American variety. Yesterday, New York rose up and once again again beat New England to take out the biggest sporting event of the year. In what has been dubbed by some as the greatest Super Bowl of all time, it was, as usual, the half time antics and ad breaks that captured the imaginations of those outside of the 50 US states. This year's Ad Bowl, the name given to 'the battle of the big ads', was taken out by Volkswagen, who charmed audiences with 'The Force' last year. This year's winner, 'The Dog Strikes Back', pipped Doritos to make VW the most talked about brand of Super Bowl XLVI. Relief for their marketing team, no doubt; the average 30 second ad slot goes for US$3.5 million. Here are the ten best ads of 2012 for your viewing pleasure. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0-9EYFJ4Clo 1. Volkswagen - The Dog Strikes Back https://youtube.com/watch?v=y3bqbJduK2w 2. Doritos - Man's Best Friend https://youtube.com/watch?v=hyFWSys3TJU 3. Bud Light Rescue Dog https://youtube.com/watch?v=P6C2G5I1Z1g 4. M&M's - Ms. Brown https://youtube.com/watch?v=MlYCBJSYWBQ 5. Skechers - Mr. Quiggly https://youtube.com/watch?v=4GIeIpcRv7o 6. Doritos - Sling Baby https://youtube.com/watch?v=VhkDdayA4iA 7. Honda - Matthew's Day Off https://youtube.com/watch?v=tFAiqxm1FDA 8. Chrysler - Clint Eastwood Halftime https://youtube.com/watch?v=lHZbXvts0LE 9. Kia - Dream Car https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ae52ourE3Pw 10. Chevy - Happy Grad
If there's something Melbournians have in common, it's coffee (and cocktails). Merging the worlds of caffeine and booze, Patricia Coffee Brewers, Grada and Tarts Anon are teaming up for a one-night-only event featuring cocktails conceptualised by Grada's co-creator Darren Leaney (ex-Capitano/Aru, current Caretaker's Cottage). Patricia Coffee Brewers, known for its quaint hole-in-the-wall aesthetic, will transform into a bar for the night. A variety of cocktails – think Espresso Martini, Pina-Colada, Manhattan and Old Fashioned – will feature Grada's locally-produced single-farm coffee along with modern modifications. Don't worry: desserts make an appearance as well, thanks to Tarts Anon, who have crafted a Grada Hazelnut tart made of shortcrust pastry, hazelnut caramel, Grada crème diplomat, caramelised choux pastry, and hazelnut and Grada financier cake. Spotlighting more coffee offerings, Stella, Grada's sister company, will also make a small menu of espresso and filter coffees available at the event. This day-to-night transformation event, dubbed 'Stella By Day, Grada By Night,' promises an immersive coffee experience. Stella By Day, Grada By Night will take place at Patricia Coffee Brewers on Thursday, April 11 from 5–9pm. Tickets are priced at $25, which will get you a cocktail of your choice and a slice of tart.
We know the last few years have been pretty grim, what with the world imploding, hell freezing over and all that. But we need to remember good things happen as well, and here are two local examples we'd like to draw your attention to. Firstly, there's a pied currawong that's been delighting visitors to Sydney's Royal Botanical Garden. She's super cute and nearly complete white but she's not actually an albino. The lil gal has leucism, a rare condition that causes white patches to cover most of her body but causes no other adverse side effects. Because it's breeding season for currawongs, she's raising two hatchlings and has been seen around the park a lot recently. Which leads us to the second, and even cuter, piece of news… The park invited its Facebook fans to name the currawong. Now, you may have just shrieked "No! Remember Dub the Dew? Remember Boaty McBoatface?" But fear not, this isn't another "Hitler Did Nothing Wrong" situation. The internet has actually come through. Fans of the Royal Botanic Garden's Facebook page put forward some of the sweetest suggestions to name the currawong mama, including Flora (because she likes hanging around flowers, obviously), Elsa, Snowy, Graculina, Oreo, "Kelvin...Kelvinator...White goods...", Falcor, Apples, Louey, Flannel, Paloma, Stormy, Cookie, Bianca, Crow White and Casper. So pure. So innocent. Someone suggested "Carol from marketing" which is also an ace suggestion. Snaps for Carol from marketing. Read the thread here if you want your heart to be filled with gladness (keep it pure, people) and, if this story has made you uncharacteristically invested in a bird, check out the RBG's blog for information about the ghostly currawong. We assume the Royal Botanic Garden will pick a name soon.
The last time that the Victorian Government amended the state's COVID-19 restrictions, it revealed that capacity caps on small- and medium-sized venues would ease before the end of the month. Announcing new changes today, Tuesday, May 25, the Greater Melbourne region is now going in the opposite direction. With five new coronavirus cases identified in the city's northern suburbs in the past 24 hours — four that were announced yesterday, and another that was revealed this morning — Acting Premier James Merlino has revealed that new restrictions will come into effect at 6pm this evening. The city isn't going into lockdown, or closing down schools or workplaces. For now, it's capping at-home and public gatherings. Within your house, you'll only be able to welcome five visitors per day. If you have plans to hang out with your nearest and dearest in public, you'll also need to limit that to 30 people. And, masks will become mandatory again in indoor settings for everyone over the age of 12, unless an exemption applies. The Victorian Government isn't stopping Greater Melbourne residents from leaving the area; however, it has announced that these new restrictions will travel with you if you venture further afield. "For example, if you visit someone outside metropolitan Melbourne, they must have not more than five visitors at that house in that day," advised the Acting Premier. No limits have been brought back in for weddings and funerals so far, unless they're being held at a private residence, where the five-person rule will apply. Nothing is changing for the hospitality industry, either, but the aforementioned changes for small- and medium-sized venues will be postponed. Just when they'll now come into effect hasn't yet been revealed. More changes are likely to be announced for bigger crowds, such as football matches and major events, though — with discussions regarding those types of activities currently underway. https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1396956831143055360 Explaining the changes, Merlino noted that "it is harder to contact trace in those private and informal settings. That is why we've got the limit of five visitors per household in the home and 30 gathering outside." At present, caps aren't being brought in for employers or venues because "our workplaces and businesses have COVID-safe plans and QR codes, [so] it is much easier for contact tracers." As it always does during new outbreaks, Victoria's Department of Health has started announcing which venues are currently considered exposure sites. Two were identified yesterday, and that list has grown overnight — and will change again if and when more sites are identified. For those looking to get tested, you can find a list of testing sites including regularly updated waiting times also on the Department of Health website. And, has remained the case throughout the pandemic, Melburnians should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste, symptoms-wise. Greater Melbourne's new restrictions will come into effect at 6pm on Tuesday, May 25. For more information about the rules moving forward, head to the Victorian Department of Health website.
One progressive hotel in Oslo is making a pretty bold statement through entertainment programming choices: opting for high culture over the pleasures of the flesh, it has replaced all its TV porn channels with contemporary art videos. Billionaire, magnate, philanthropist, art collector, environmental activist and sensitive dream-man Petter Stordalen, the owner of the large Nordic Choice Hotels chain, has dropped the porn-on-demand channels from all 171 of his hotels across five northern European countries. His motivation? Concern about the link between pornography and the hideous child prostitution industry, which he hopes to help UNICEF fight in its anti-exploitation campaign by doing his part via revamped in-hotel programming. Though dropping porn could seem shocking to some, Stordalen has pointed out that Nordic Choice was also the first hotel chain in the world to ban smoking, a ban which is now considered normal in most public spaces. One of Stordalen's hotels, The Thief, is an 'art hotel', an establishment with its own in-house curator (former director of Norway’s National Museum Sune Nordgren) as well as artworks by Tracey Emin and Peter Blake and special rooms where "art installations signed by supergroup Apparatjik add to your hotel experience" — itself an exciting concept, no? This provides the perfect context for art-video-on-demand in place of the former nookie channels. Nine pieces of high-end video art are currently on rotation on the rooms' interactive TVs, including Sam Taylor-Wood’s 'Still Life' (2001). In this work, you get to watch a bowl of still-life oil painting-like fruits slowly become festooned with mould and decay (perhaps a winking nod to and comment on porn?). Surely it would be soothing to switch from Miley twerking on the VMAs to a thought-provoking piece of modern art while you relax in Oslo. Apparently guests have responded very favourably to the change. Via Hyperallergic.
It's possible that as much has happened in the last few weeks for The Rubens as it has in their entire musical career, but that's not a bad thing — they've only been a band for two years after all. As well as heading inland for a slot at Groovin' the Moo and being whisked off to a mystery regional location for the triple J One Night Stand festival (at which they'll headline along with Flume), April will see The Rubens head off on their biggest Australian tour to date. The shows come off the back of their debut self-titled album released in September last year, containing the catchy Black Keysish rambler 'My Gun'. New singles 'Never Be The Same' and 'Lay It Down' effortlessly layer that same backcountry clang over slower, more soulful foundations. If this is where they are after only 24 months, we can't wait to see where they're headed next. https://youtube.com/watch?v=eKrVHMTcEuc
UPDATE, June 3, 2022: Kajillionaire is available to stream via Netflix, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. When Evan Rachel Wood played a troubled teen in 2003's Thirteen, the then 16-year-old received a Golden Globe nomination. For her work in Westworld since 2016, she has nabbed multiple Emmy nods. So when we say that the actor puts in her best performance yet in Kajillionaire — the type of portrayal that deserves several shiny trophies — that observation isn't made lightly. Playing a 26-year-old con artist called Old Dolio Dyne, Wood is anxious but yearning, closed-off yet vulnerable, and forceful as well as unsure all at once. Her character has spent her entire life being schooled in pulling off quick scams by her eccentric parents Robert (Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water) and Theresa (Debra Winger, The Lovers), who she still lives with, and she's stuck navigating her own street-wise brand of arrested development. Old Dolio knows how to blend in, with her baggy clothes, curtain of long hair and low-toned voice. She also knows how to avoid security cameras in physical feats that wouldn't look out of place in a slapstick comedy, and how to charm kindly folks out of reward money. But she has never been allowed to truly be her own person — and, from the moment that Wood is seen on-screen, that mournful truth is immediately evident. Kajillionaire introduces Old Dolio, Robert and Theresa as they're falling back on one of their most reliable swindles: stealing packages from post office boxes. Old Dolio bobs and weaves like a ninja to avoid prying eyes, while her parents watch on from a safe distance, a formula that most of their other small-time rackets also rely upon. They're not trying to strike it rich and live ultra glamorous lives, although they do like entering competitions. As Robert lectures on one of his many musings about their chosen lifestyle, they don't want to be kajillionaires like everyone else in America seems to. Rather, they're merely endeavouring to maintain their offbeat existence — including keeping a low profile, staying off the grid and away from the government's prying eyes, and holing up in the basement level of an abandoned office building. In the aforementioned vacant structure the Dynes call home — which is still filled with cubicles, office furniture and stationery — big waves of pink suds seep down from above multiple times a day. That's an absurdist detail, even just to look at; however, it says more about the film's characters, the feature itself and the approach favoured by writer/director Miranda July than a simple description can convey. As the latter demonstrated with Me and You and Everyone We Know and The Future, she's fond of both surveying the routines of everyday life and using surreal and whimsical flourishes to lay bare the emotions lingering underneath. Vivid to watch but considered a chore in the movie, those soapy bubbles are a classic July touch. They also reflect the blend of eccentricity and repetition that marks this unconventional family's days, and share much in common with Old Dolio specifically. Never treated like a child or allowed to celebrate her birthday, and trained to split every score she makes with her parents since she was a kid, she has long been taken for granted — but, for those willing to actually take notice, she's far more than just the third part of a trio. Narrative-wise, Kajillionaire tracks this realisation within Old Dolio herself, as sparked by two developments. Firstly, to make a quick $20 to help cover overdue rent, she agrees to attend a parenting class for someone she meets on the street, and is struck by how far removed its teachings are from her own experiences. Secondly, on a return flight back to Los Angeles from New York as part of a travel insurance grift, her parents meet and befriend lively optometrist's assistant Melanie (Gina Rodriguez, Annihilation). So accustomed to playing the role dictated to her by Robert and Theresa, and never deviating from it, Old Dolio isn't prepared for the emotions stirred up by both changes to her status quo. But July's poignant and perceptive movie — a film that's a quirky heist flick, a playful but shrewd exploration of family bonds, and a sweet love story — is perfectly, mesmerisingly equipped to navigate her protagonist's efforts to reach beyond the only loved ones and the only type of life she has ever known. That Wood and July make a delightful actor-filmmaker combo really can't be stressed enough. Old Dolio finds herself searching for the kindness she didn't know she'd been missing, Kajillionaire's director regards everything about the character with affection and understanding, and the result is one of the most distinctive, empathetic and engaging movies of the year. The film doesn't gloss over any of its key figures' flaws or struggles, of which there are many, or the fact that little about these scammers can be wholly trusted even by each other. And yet, July knows that the best way to tell Old Dolio's tale — and Robert, Theresa and Melanie's too — is to jump on their wavelength. Ultimately, this is a movie shaped as much by its mood, tone and rhythms as its plot and themes, although it does an intuitive and insightful job of demonstrating how consumption-driven lives, 21st-century living in general, and the supposed be all and end all that is the American Dream can prove empty and limiting. To answer the question that's on everyone's minds from the moment that Old Dolio's name is uttered, yes, Kajillionaire offers an explanation. Yes, it's as idiosyncratic and revealing as the rest of the movie. It's rare for a film to feel so rich, so unique and so completely the sum of its parts, but July's third feature manages that feat in everything from its bright but never postcard-perfect lensing of LA and its off-kilter episodic antics to its tender appreciation of an individualistic young woman whose initials literally spell out ODD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-fxRXzfi0U
After a not-so-funny, lockdown-filled 2021, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is once again bringing the laughs, returning for its huge 36th edition from Wednesday, March 30–Sunday, April 24. As always, it's dishing up a bumper program of stand-up shows, comedy showcases and other hilarious events — all featuring a top-shelf lineup of both local and international acts. Among the more than 500 shows in this year's lineup, you can catch global stars like Arj Barker, David O'Doherty, Fern Brady, Stephen K Amos and Ross Noble working their magic in solo performances, or do a little globe-trotting at the International Comedy Showcase. The 32nd Annual Great Debate will see some of your favourite funny folk duel it out in a battle of comedic critical thinking; while Ali McGregor's Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night shows will showcase a handpicked curation of MICF's top comedy, cabaret, burlesque and circus acts, set to a glittering soundtrack. There's also the Neighbourhood Sessions, which'll venture out of the city for a series of suburban showcases starring the likes of Kirsty Webeck, Carl Donnelly, Luke Heggie and more. The Festival Club will transform Max Watt's into an almost nightly haven of chuckles, hosting cheeky late-night performances, improv throwdowns, lip syncing battles and everything in between. And of course, venues across the city are firing up each night for a smorgasbord of gigs and events, including Storyville, the Carlton Club, Kewpie and the Toff in Town. Top image: Jim Lee.
Cumulus Up's City Cellar Door series returns for 2018, once again featuring a revolving door of Australian wine producers all keen to show off their top-notch drops. The event is the perfect opportunity to taste delicious wine, chat directly to the makers and grab your fave bottles at cellar door prices — all without leaving the CBD. And, while Victorian producers will once again sit in the spotlight, the series will also showcase Tasmanian wineries for the first time. The year's first instalment — which will run on the first Saturday of every month until October — kicks off at midday on May 5, this month paying homage to the Mornington Peninsula. Wine enthusiasts will be treated to stellar tipples from the likes of Main Ridge Estate, Prossimo, Allies and Avani, alongside matched snacks available from the Cumulus clan. And what's wine without snacks? To make sure the event has all the trimmings, there'll be plenty to eat, including the bar's suckling pig. Entry is by gold coin donation, with all proceeds going to OzHarvest. This is a not-to-be-missed event for anyone who loves wine.
This year, spend January 26 hanging out with some of the newest, hoppiest local brews as Beer Deluxe showcases a whole swag of homegrown talent at its annual Hop Quest showdown. Descending on the Federation Square beer oasis from 11am will be 20 of Australia's hottest craft breweries, each with a brand-new, hop-tastic beer release in tow. We're talking beers so fresh, their details will remain top secret until the big day. Guests will have a chance to sample all of these never-before-seen creations and to chat with reps from each brewery, enjoying $5 beer tasters throughout the day, before casting their vote for Hop Quest 2019's reigning champ. All of your favourites are coming to the party, including CoConspirators Brewing, KAIJU Beer, 3 Ravens Brewery, Wolf of the Willows, Mr.Banks Brewing Co, Sailors Grave and more. Entry is free, though you'll want to book a table to guarantee a chance to try these much-hyped new release brews. Images: Giulia Morlando
Despite what governmental and mainstream media outlets may have you believe, Australia isn't the only nation where people are desperately seeking asylum. Europe's currently in the middle of a very real refugee crisis, with the civil war in Syria leaving over four million Syrians displaced and looking for a new, safe home. That's an absolutely unfathomable amount of people. And while most of us have gawked and sat around wondering what we can do to help refugees, three Dutch twenty-somethings have actually gone and done something about it, creating a new non-profit accommodation platform for refugees. Refugee Hero essentially works like Airbnb. It looks a lot like it too. The website allows people to advertise their spare room to refugees looking for a place to stay when they arrive in a new country. It's geared around people putting up rooms available in their residential homes, but organisations are encouraged to open up their facilities, such as churches, mosques, schools and universities as well. And the best part is, the service 100 percent free. In that regard, it's more like Couchsurfing than Airbnb — but with hosts that are socially conscious legends with hearts of gold. The Netherlands-based startup was founded by Germaine Statia, Jamal Oulel, and Ayoub Aouragh, who are all aged 23-25. "We want to give back humanity to mankind," says Germaine Statia on their website. Since launching in September last year, Refugee Hero has rooms listed everywhere from Bulgaria to Johannesburg to Maryland in the States. And while there aren't any Australian listings yet, we can't see any reason why you can't get involved. Hop to it! Via PSFK.
In between running one of Brisbane's favourite vintage cafe bars and teaching us where the best bits of Brisbane are, longtime Aussie music go-to The Grates are back for their first national headline tour since 2011. Brisbanites Patience Hodgson, John Patterson and Ritchie Daniell will be taking their Team Work Makes The Dream Work tour down Australia's east coast with Sydney punk garage band Straight Arrows and Brisbane punk/synth duo Pleasure Symbols. Described as "fun and thrashy pop punk at its best" by triple j, these three have a reputation for giving an incredible live show that'll have you on your feet. The Grates have been seriously productive over the last few months; after releasing their fourth celebrated studio album, Dream Team last year, they went on to absolutely crush it at Splendour In The Grass. The Grates' long-awaited return to the stage is sure to be one of those dance-till-you-drop affairs — here's hoping for a furious '19-20-20' throwback singalong to obliterate our vocal chords once and for all. THE GRATES 'TEAM WORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK' 2015 TOUR: Saturday, August 8 – The Triffid, Brisbane Friday, August 14 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney Saturday, August 15 – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne The Grates are touring Australia's east coast this August, and thanks to Secret Service, we have three double passes to give away to their Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne shows. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and 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
While going outdoors at the moment is mostly restricted to outdoor recreational activities, work and grabbing essentials, you'll need to throw on an extra jumper and bring an umbrella to do just that for the rest of this week, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting rain, thunderstorms and frosty temperatures across most of Australia. A series of cold fronts are set to sweep the country and have, in fact, already hit Victoria. Last night, Tuesday, May 19, Melbourne copped damaging winds, heavy showers and hail, with a second cold front set to bring more showers and even snow to the Alps from later today. The rest of the week is looking, well, wet and cold. Temperatures are expected to hover around 13–14 until Saturday — which is three degrees under the average maximum of 16.7 for May — and there's a medium–high chance of showers every day for the foreseeable future. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1262585286254567427 Moving slight north to Sydney, today's clear skies will be swapped for a high chance of rain and fog tomorrow, with the rains expected to persist for the foreseeable future, too. Temperatures are expected to sit around the average for May 19.5, with low 20s predicted until next Tuesday. So, if you're going to get wet anyway, now might be the time to go and swim a couple of laps at one of the newly-reopened ocean pools. https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1262568843853139968 Queensland is already getting a soaking, with 100-300 millilitres falling between Cairns and Ingham. The rains are set to continue for the rest of today and tomorrow, but will clear on Friday, ready for a cloudy but mostly dry weekend. The mercury isn't planned to rise as high as usual, though, with the BOM predicting temperatures six–ten degrees below average for parts of the state. If you go out on a hike or a day trip, pack a couple of extra layers. As is usually the case when rain and winds are predicted, keep an eye out for flood watches and severe weather warnings on the BOM website. For latest weather predictions and warnings, head to the Bureau of Meteorology website.
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 that European or American trip could soon become a whole lot more bearable, with Qantas not only working towards launching direct flights between the east coast and both London and New York by 2022, but beginning to run trial journeys this year. In October, November and December, the airline will pilot three ultra long-haul research flights, using new Boeing 787-9s. The aircraft will simulate two routes that are at the heart of Qantas' proposed new non-stop plan, which is called Project Sunrise, flying from New York and London to Sydney. That New York trip will mark the first world's first flight by a commercial airline direct from the Big Apple to Sydney, while the London jaunt will be the second time such a journey has been made. The last time the latter happened was back in 1989, when Qantas made the trek on a Boeing 747-400 with just 23 people on board. Don't go packing your bags, though — the aim is to gather data about inflight passenger and crew health and wellbeing, with only around 40 people making the trip. They'll be comprised of crew and Qantas employees, and they'll be fitted with wearable technology devices to monitor their monitor sleep patterns, food and beverage consumption, physical movement and use of the entertainment system during the flights. The results will then be assessed by scientists and medical experts from the Charles Perkins Centre. Pilots will also take part, working with Monash University researchers to record their melatonin levels before, during and after the flights, as well as their brain wave patterns and alertness — to help ascertain the best work and rest pattern when they're commanding those long-haul services. While spending nearly a day on one single plane is better than jumping on and off different vessels multiple times, it's not without its physical, mental and emotional toll — as anyone who has made the trip with Qantas from Perth to London knows, which is what makes this testing so important. Announcing the trial, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce explained that, "for customers, the key will be minimising jet lag and creating an environment where they are looking forward to a restful, enjoyable flight. For crew, it's about using scientific research to determine the best opportunities to promote alertness when they are on duty and maximise rest during their down time." 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 planes 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). The airline has done its homework, analysing a decade's worth of wind and weather data to confirm the lengthy routes are actually possible. Now it just needs the aircraft, with Airbus and Boeing both pitching vessels (A350 and 777X) that are capable of doing the job. Qantas is expected to announce their decision, including whether the whole project will progress to making commercial flights, by the end of December 2019. 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.
The salon is back. Not the hair salon (although that is very much back too, thank god), I'm talking Paris in the 18th century. Social gatherings where artists, writers and other enlightened folk could discuss big ideas without needing to stick within the guardrails of polite society. Admittedly, this could describe your last afternoon hit out at the pub. But a couple of Sydney-based curators and culture aficionados are bringing back the concept of the artist salon as it was originally intended — and to be a fly on the wall would be a pretty killer ticket. Susan Armstrong and Michelle Grey are the duo behind Arts-Matter. They curate events that bring together artists from various mediums — from painters to product designers to hip hop artists — and host them in intimate settings to spark conversations around society, creativity and cultural values. It all started in the first of Australia's lengthy lockdowns when restrictions were preventing people from accessing art in the usual means via tangible exhibitions, galleries and shows. So Armstrong and Grey took the unprecedented circumstances as an opportunity to try something a little different. "While there's always been incredible programming offered at our favourite museums, galleries and institutions, their events can sometimes be genre-specific — an artist talk at a gallery, or a music performance at a concert hall," explains Armstrong. "We wanted to provide people with a broader cross-section of the cultural arts." "Creativity thrives when silos collide, and many of us are interested in hearing interdisciplinary discussions with thought-leaders across the cultural gamut, from fine art to music, theatre, fashion, architecture, literature and film. We've also found that by hosting small salon-style events in private homes, guests open up and connect in a way that's not always possible in a public venue. Plus, you were allowed to drink while standing up, which was a big bonus!" Excellent point. In the year since Arts-Matter was conceived, Michelle and Susan have brought together an impressive lineup of Australia's most fascinating creative talent to speak and perform, including Genesis Owusu, Ben Quilty, Ngaiire, Tony Albert, Dinosaur Designs founder Louise Olsen, Ramesh Mario Nithyendran, and Rafael Bonachela. The pandemic has in many ways changed the way we experience art, from the emergence of virtual galleries that can get you a front row look at the great masterpieces to the increasing popularity of NFTs. But is digital the future for artist and art lovers alike? In a word: nah. Says Armstrong and Grey: "We've seen an explosion of promotion on social media — which gives viewers an intimate peek into both the professional and personal lives of the artists we love — and a whole host of digital and virtual shows and art fairs, but nothing beats human connection so we know everyone is excited to get back in touch with the physical world!" "In these troubled times art has the power to heal and unite, and at the same time it's also an important marker of history. Humans need art to express their individual and shared stories. Art and creativity can provide great catharsis for communities, and after almost two years of a global pandemic, we're all in need of a bit of emotional release." You can follow the future projects of Arts-Matter here.
Looking to shake things up with a bit of spicy teamwork fun this Valentine's Day? Well, seek and you shall find. Literally. Couples-focused sexual wellness brand We-Vibe is here to make things a little interesting, with a good ol' sex toy scavenger hunt you can tackle with your boo. Yep — this Saturday, February 12, the label is hiding five of its signature We-Vibe Sync couples vibrators in secret spots around the city. Pleasure-seeking sleuths are invited to track them down using clues posted to We-Vibe's O Diaries blog that morning. Find one of the blue vibrators and you'll win yourselves an entire year's supply of sex toys, totalling a cool USD $1000 — obviously, the V-Day prezzie to trump all others. The hunt kicks off at 9am and will run for 48 hours. And you should word up your overseas mates, too — We-Vibe's also hosting similar scavenger hunts in 12 other international cities this weekend, including Paris, London, Singapore, Barcelona and New York.
This winter, Melbourne's surfside diner is embracing a new passion — premium Gippsland lamb. Overlooking the breaks of Urbnsurf, Three Blue Ducks is adding a slew of meaty menu additions, as it invites you to raise a fork for Lamb Month. From Friday, July 22–Monday, August, 22, the restaurant is firing up the barbecue and the spit to showcase a stack of new lamb-based creations at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Head in to feast on plates like the pulled lamb and mashed potato cakes with poached eggs and harissa yoghurt; spiced lamb ribs teamed with burnt eggplant and tabouli; and barbecued lamb starring celeriac, hazelnuts, radicchio and lashings of Bodriggy stout gravy. What's more, to wash the new specials down, Three Blue Ducks has teamed up with mates at Abbotsford brewery Bodriggy, offering their oatmeal stout as the perfect wintry lamb pairing. Three Blue Ducks is open for breakfast Friday to Sunday, and for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday.
Whether it's in the insect-dappled heat of an outdoor cinema or in the sweet smack of an airconditioned theatre, summer is the season of movies. We just have more time for leisure this time of year, and not all of it can be spent running and swimming around. Many of the year's biggest releases are coming out in the next three balmy months. These are the ones you should start getting excited for now. https://youtube.com/watch?v=wceaLzbtuDY The Spectacular Now Out: Now A teen movie about a cool guy and a dorky girl falling in love that's somehow real and honest? It's a Christmas miracle. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WRY2ogQpbvg Kill Your Darlings Out: Now Daniel Radcliffe kills off the memory of Harry Potter with a convincing portrayal of US beat poet Allen Ginsberg for which he has a heady trinity of straight sex, gay sex and self-sex. https://youtube.com/watch?v=h5Cb4SFt7gE American Hustle Out: December 12 Clearly knowing he was on to a good thing, Silver Linings Playbook director David O. Russell reunites Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper and adds Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Robert De Niro and Louis CK. Other good omens: this screenplay once made the famous 'Black List' of unproduced screenplays and used to be more blatantly titled 'American Bullshit'. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Elczv0ghqw0 Anchorman 2 Out: December 19 If that maxim about the strength of the marketing being inversely proportional to the quality of the film holds true, Anchorman 2 will be the worst movie ever. Still, we've got our fingers crossed for this sequel ten years in the making. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OPVWy1tFXuc The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Out: December 26 There's nothing like Boxing Day tradition, and Peter Jackson and Warner Bros. Pictures are hoping that yours only grows stronger with a fifth year of epic Tolkien adventure. It's a no brainer. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ksrkKXoEJbM The Railway Man Out: December 26 The combination of Colin Firth and Burning Man director Jonathan Teplitzky make The Railway Man worth seeing. It's also the go-to Boxing Day film for people who like crying and catharsis around the holidays. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0XBPEUXMtMw The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Out: December 26 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is Hollywood at its best. Deeply funny, optimistic, life-affirming and full of pretty pictures, the film follows a quiet LIFE magazine staffer, played by Ben Stiller, who learns to seize the day. Kristen Wiig is in it, too, so yay. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rETaWDZ57v0 Short Term 12 Out: December 26 Hot for: This is all a bit deep and wounded for a Boxing Day release, but try it, okay? With one of those hard-to-summarise plots centring around the kids and their barely adult supervisors at a temporary foster care facility, it's compulsively watchable and super emotional. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rD8f9kn7D2U Philomena Out: December 26. On the one hand, Philomena looks a bit fusty and British. On the other, it's written by Steve Coogan, directed by the indomitable Stephen Frears (The Queen, High Fidelity, Dangerous Liaisons, etc etc), stars Dame Judi Dench and will probably kick arse if you give it a chance. https://youtube.com/watch?v=9Hd_uO72h1s August: Osage County Out: January 1 This may look like blatant Oscar bait, but it's too fucked up for that. Which isn't to say it won't win anyway, with incredible performances from Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, among a star-studded ensemble cast. Based on probably the best play of the last decade, it's genius-level hilarious. https://youtube.com/watch?v=6dRuGwS1gWU The Book Thief Out: January 9 Your favourite adorable Nazi Germany bibliophilic bildungsroman has been made into a film. Now with extra adorableness thanks to the girl child from Monsieur Lazhar. Saving Mr Banks Out: January 9 Disney engages in a spot of personal myth-making with a story about the meeting of Walt Disney and PL 'Mary Poppins' Travers. A bit off-putting, but it involves Emma Thompson being excellent as the steely Travers. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ne6p6MfLBxc Her Out: January 16 Anticipation is through the roof for this, the dystopic love story from cult filmmaker Spike Jonze (Where the Wild Things Are, Being John Malkovich). Joaquin Phoenix is the brooding protagonist, and Scarlett Johansson is the operating system he falls in love with. https://youtube.com/watch?v=fmyglO2Zr0E Inside Llewyn Davis Out: January 16 You can't not pay attention to a Coen Brothers release. It's not heavy on plot, but proceedings definitely include a '60s folk singer, a cat and Carey Mulligan. https://youtube.com/watch?v=iszwuX1AK6A The Wolf of Wall Street Out: January 23 If you thought Leonardo DiCaprio was draped in obscene riches in Gatsby, you ain't seen nothing yet. This three-hour Martin Scorsese comedy, of sorts, is based on a real person's memoir of pre-recession fraud and fun times. The Great Beauty Out: January 23 On the one hand, this is an unassuming Italian number about a one-hit wonder novelist coming down to earth in a beautiful way. On the other, it's made a lot of international critics' top ten lists for the year, so we're all ears. https://youtube.com/watch?v=1bQSOBJCPQE Grudge Match Out: January 30 We're not necessarily recommending you should see this. But you should most definitely be aware that a movie exists in which Sly 'Rocky' Stallone and Robert 'Raging Bull' De Niro fight each other. https://youtube.com/watch?v=z02Ie8wKKRg 12 Years a Slave Out:January 30 Splashed on best-of lists the globe over, 12 Years a Slave is the third film from the unflinching director of Hunger and Shame, Steve McQueen. The wonderful Chiwetel Ejiofor stars in this surely harrowing slavery story you just have to sit through. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xPLSpmAtc1Q Robocop Out: February 6 Look, this could go either way. It's summer, so let's be optimists. https://youtube.com/watch?v=GAglZjX3HOk Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Out: February 6 Reviews haven't been all positive, but it can only be worthwhile spending time with such an incredible life story. Universally praised at least is Idris Elba's performance in the lead role. https://youtube.com/watch?v=U8utPuIFVnU Dallas Buyers Club Out: February 13 Matthew McConaughey gets skinny and gives a performance that no one can pay him out for. His Ron Woodroof, an '80s cowboy diagnosed with AIDS who takes to smuggling the pharmaceuticals he wants, has some cut-through lessons about the medical profession. https://youtube.com/watch?v=s4bqeT5edbs Wolf Creek 2 Out: February 20 It's been nearly ten years since the first instalment of this Australian 'torture porn' flick. And because its iconic status just seems to keep on building, we may as well have another. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UT5tqPojMtg Nebraska Out: February 20 You can tell it's the end of summer, because, like the fashion, the movies get more monochrome. Nebraska is the latest from Alexander Payne, director of The Descendants and Sideways, and follows a quirky father-and-son road trip.
The Oscars might not be ready to acknowledge and celebrate women in film, but local Melbourne cinemas certainly are, especially on International Women's Day. In honour of the annual event, indie cinema Thornbury Picture House is screening three awesome films with women in key creative roles. Kicking things off at 2.30pm is the lush period-set French romance Portrait of a Lady on Fire, from director Céline Sciamma and cinematographer Claire Mathon. At 5pm, be inspired by a collection of short films called the Women's Adventure Film Tour, starring Aussie athletes like four-time World Champion cliff diver Rhiannan Iffland and climber Angie Scarth-Johnson. The last screening of the day will Autumn de Wilde's 2020 adaption of Jane Austen's beloved Emma at 8pm. On the site of a former car garage on High Street, Thornbury Picture House pays homage to its former life in its bar's aesthetic, so you can get down early (it opens at midday) for a glass of wine or a Two Birds Brewing beer among original garage features, recycled wooden furniture and green foliage. Whether you're planning to catch one, two or all three of the flicks, you can order antipasto from the local Italian restaurant, or fill up on popcorn and choc tops. [caption id="attachment_755894" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Portrait of a Lady on Fire[/caption]
Little sister and new quasi-neighbour to the iconic Grossi Florentino, Arlechin is the latest Melbourne laneway haunt to add to your list, opening quietly last week off Mornane Place. Here, the Grossi team have crafted a sophisticated destination for eats, drinks, and late-night revelry, all tucked neatly away from the rest of the CBD's hustle and bustle. Doubling as the group's wine cellar, Arlechin's a suave little bunker, with rows of bottles lining the walls. It's dapper as hell, yet warm and inviting enough to tempt long, lazy visits, and with an air of fun that keeps it all from being too serious. From the kitchen, a seasonally driven menu has its own cheeky edge, with the likes of a meaty bolognese jaffle, Sloppy Joe, smoked eel parfait, and chilli fried quail making ideal eating at any time of night. Of course, there's also some seriously good drinking to be done here, between the crafty signature cocktails, aperitifs and a wine list that trips through Italy, France and our own backyard. Hole up here for the evening and see what mischief transpires. Find Arlechin at Mornane Place, Melbourne. Open seven nights 5pm until late.
Disney is back in the fairy princess business, and by god it wants you to know it. Except, it doesn’t want young boys to know it, which is why this film is called Frozen instead of The Snow Queen. When Disney finally bought Pixar in 2006, the deal essentially saw Pixar's creative team taking control of Disney’s animated output. Given the strong quality control Pixar has over its products, this was no bad thing. But not all of the experiments worked. Determined to resurrect Disney's tradition of hand-drawn animation, they made The Princess and the Frog in 2009, a tremendously underrated film which moved the classic tale to 1920s New Orleans. The film’s undeserved financial failing made Disney gunshy, and their takeaway was this: stick to computer animation, and no more princesses in the titles. In fairness, this shift didn’t kneecap the quality of the films. 2009’s Rapunzel film Tangled is an outstanding work, with rich characters, beautiful animation and incredibly catchy songs. Tangled really worked, which is why it appears to be the template Disney has used for its newest animated feature, Frozen. Based loosely on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen — a story Disney has been trying to adapt since the 1940s — the film follows Anna and her sister Elsa, two princesses who are left alone when their parents die at sea. The relationship between the two is difficult: Elsa has magical powers, which due to an unsatisfactorily explained plot contrivance, have been wiped from Anna’s memory. To keep Anna safe, Else keeps her at arm’s length as they grow up. But on the evening of Elsa’s coronation, she accidentally creates a permanent winter in the kingdom and retreats to a remote ice palace of her own making. It’s up to Anna to save her sister and her kingdom. The parallels with Tangled are striking. Both changed the name of their original story to a more marketable, generic title. Both feature a similar working-class man developing a love-hate relationship with a princess. Both have a crazy, anthropomorphised horse/moose for company. Both even feature a princess whose power is represented by a streak of colour through the hair. The comparisons, though superficial, reveal an attempt at a modern formula. And although Frozen is enjoyable enough, the characters aren’t quite as engaging as they ought to be, the songs not quite memorable enough. The animation, however, is superb. On a technical level, it’s a marvel. Frozen represent the middle of the bell curve in terms of animated features. It’s a far cry from the insufferable toy-selling, pop-culture spewing, catchphrase-ridden films churned out during at the beginning every school holiday period, but nor does it hit the heights of Disney’s best output. It is admirable, enjoyable, but ultimately unmemorable.
Making its world premiere at Arts House in North Melbourne this week, Tremor is described not as a dance piece, but rather an 'intense sonic-kinetic encounter'. Created by Ashley Dyer in collaboration with sound artist Nigel Brown, the show will be performed on a custom-built eight-by-eight-metre vibrating floor covered with more than 200 metal poles. Music and sound shakes the floor, sending tremors through the poles and creating an ever-shifting artificial grassland. Over the course of almost an hour, Dyer, Brown and a trio of female dancers will examine the effect of pressure and vibration, on both the body and the earth, through a hypnotic combination of movement, performance and sound. Tremor runs from November 16–20, with a post-show Q&A on November 17.
At this stage in the COVID-19 pandemic, we've all heard about social distancing, coughing into your elbow, avoiding physical contact with others and staying home if you display even the slightest symptoms. As championed by everyone from elected politicians to health officials, these messages have been stressed again and again for months now. But, if you suspect that you might be unwell and you're not in a financial position to miss work — because you simply can't afford to — adhering to the standard health recommendations isn't always simple. To assist those who've been tested for COVID-19 and don't have the money to take time off work while they wait for their results, the Victorian Government has announced a new support payment — in the form of a one-off $300 sum. It's specifically aimed at folks in insecure employment, to ensure that not only they get tested as soon as possible but also quarantine afterwards, all without having to worry about their bank balance. And, it's available as soon as a person is tested. In a statement on Thursday, July 23 — the same day that 403 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths were reported in the state — the Victorian Government advised that "as many as nine out of ten people who later test positive are not self-isolating between the onset of symptoms and getting a test". It also explained that more than half of Victorians who end up with a positive result aren't isolating between being tested and receiving that news. https://www.facebook.com/DanielAndrewsMP/photos/a.149185875145957/3263782247019622/?type=3&theater The new $300 payment joins the state's previously announced $1500 hardship payment, which is available to workers who must isolate, won't have any income while they do, and aren't entitled to paid sick leave, special pandemic leave or other income support. To access the $300 amount, you also need to fit those eligibility requirements. So, you'll need to have been instructed to self-isolate or quarantine at home, have a continuing job that you'd be showing up to if you weren't required to self-isolate or quarantine, and have exhausted any sick leave and special pandemic leave entitlements. You can't be receiving the JobKeeper payment or other forms of Australian Government income support, either, or any income, earnings or salary from work during your self-isolation or quarantine period. While clearly targeted at casuals, the scheme is also open to permanent, part-time, fixed term and self-employed workers who fit the above bill. Although we've all been told plenty of times, take this as a reminder that anyone with any COVID-19 symptoms — such as fever, chills, sweats, a cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, and loss of sense of smell or taste — is asked to get tested. And, to stay home between the onset of symptoms and having the test, and again until you're informed of your test results. For further details about the Victorian Government's Coronavirus (COVID-19) Worker support payments, and about the status of COVID-19 in the state, visit the Department of Health and Human Services website. Top image: Julia Sansone
There's no denying Sydney loves its dumplings. The pillowy parcels of filled dough are the perfect winter warmer and pack a flavourful punch in a single mouthful. And few are as skilled in their making than Chris Yan — one of Sydney's top dumpling masters. The Shanghainese chef is the group executive chef of Lotus Dining Group — the restaurant group with eateries in Walsh Bay, The Galeries, Darlinghurst, the Chinese Garden of Friendship and Barangaroo (with a third Barangaroo spot due to open in July). So, it's fair to say he knows how to cook a mean dish — and not just dumplings. When he's not in the kitchen at one of his many restaurants, he's off collaborating with flavoursome chip brand Red Rock Deli. And, on Thursday, August 8, Yan will be hosting two intimate secret suppers for a limited number of guests. So, what can diners expect from the chef? Well, we don't quite know — yet. The menu will stay true to the event's name and remain under-wraps until the night. But, we do know that it'll be a unique three-course feast inspired by Red Rock Deli's limited-edition flavour, Thai red chilli and creamy coconut potato chips. So, in trying to crack the menu code, we thought we'd find out a little about the Sydney restaurants that Yan likes to visit on the regular (and the dishes he orders) for inspiration. He name-dropped a few of his recent favourites, which may give us an idea of what to expect. [caption id="attachment_652979" align="alignnone" width="1920"] China Doll at Woolloomooloo Wharf[/caption] First up: dumplings, of course. Specifically, traditional Nepalese chicken dumplings (momos) from Momo Bar. Unlike Yan's Shanghai-style dumplings, this north shore spot serves its dumplings with garlic yoghurt and paprika butter or with pickled sauce (achaar), which is authentic Nepali-style. Woolloomooloo's China Doll also made the list and is a go-to for Yan — he thinks the salmon sashimi with blackened chilli dressing is some of the best in town. If you're after something heartier (and cheaper), then Yan recommends heading to Pho Pasteur for an authentic beef noodle soup. [caption id="attachment_653246" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pho Pasteur[/caption] Rounding out Yan's top five, is the chicken pad thai with glass noodles from Home Thai and Indonesian restaurant The Sambal. You'll often see the Shanghainese chef there feasting on the sambal terong Balado — a Balado-style eggplant sambal. So, what might we deduce about Yan's secret supper menu from his Sydney sparks of inspiration? Expect honest, simple Asian food that has flavour in spades. To register for tickets to Chris Yan's Secret Supper, head over here. And, while you wait for the big night to roll around, you can get cracking on this Yan-certified recommendation circuit. Top image: Kitti Gould.
It has been almost ten years since Franz Ferdinand released their game-changing track 'Take Me Out' and got the world banging their heads and shaking their hips to their guitar disco sound. Now almost a decade on they are still going strong, releasing their fourth studio album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action in August to critical acclaim. Franz Ferdinand were once one of the hottest bands on the planet and whilst their live performances have always remained electric, they have never quite musically matched their debut — until now. Their new LP has truly rediscovered the energy and sound that enthralled us all on that initial release and has set them back on the path towards greatness. Now the Glaswegian quartet are taking the right action and bringing themselves to Australia. Whilst originally slated to be here for the now-cancelled Harvest Festival, the band have thankfully elected to stay on for an East Coast tour that will be stopping in Melbourne at the Forum Theatre on Thursday, November 14. So why not head down and see what all the renewed fuss is about?
It's cold — freezing in fact — but that won't do anything to stop Melbourne's flour fiends flocking to Collingwood Town Hall this Saturday, August 14 for the Flour Market's winter bake sale. After a string of pop-ups at Melbourne Central in June and a doughnut festival in Sydney last month, the baked goods bonanza is back for another seasonal instalment. The main drawcard for this market is Sydney's Black Star Pastry, who will be travelling down south with their famous strawberry watermelon cake just for the occasion. But aside from the cake (which you're probably going to get anyway), there'll be doughnuts from Cobb Lane and All Day Donuts, classics American-style pies from Bakewell & Co, coffee from Everyday and some dreamy-sounding gooey caramel brioche bites from Boris Portnoy. A photo posted by Flour Market (@flour_market) on Aug 6, 2016 at 11:51pm PDT In the past the Flour Market has drawn huge crowds lining up halfway around the block to get their mitts on some cream-filled, jam-glazed, artisan patisserie, so we recommend getting there early. Entry is $2. If you prefer your pastries guaranteed, you can buy an Early Riser ticket for $10 from Wednesday, August 10. Check their Facebook page for more details as they announce them.
Oil up your engines folks, Motorclassica is rolling back into town for its tenth year. Running from Friday, October 11 to Sunday, October 13, the annual exhibition of rare and collectible classic cars will descend on Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building with an impressive display of vintage automobiles and motorcycles. Expect this year's fair to be big as it marks its first decade. Over the three days, you'll find over 200 old club cars on display outside, plus a bunch of modern supercars, which are sure to get you revved up. You'll also find some of Melbourne's most-loved food trucks, dishing up plenty of snacks to keep you well fuelled. Head on in and you'll be treated to the Australian International Concours d'Elegance awards. The awards will see over 140 exotic and collectible cars and motorcycles displayed throughout space. Need to get your heart racing? You can bid on a rare number plate (with some going for upwards of $500,000) at the Rare Heritage Number Plate Auction, which will take place on Saturday, October 12. Best of all? We're giving away two VIP passes (valued at $150 each) for Sunday entry. If you're the lucky winner, you'll get priority access and entry to the VIP Lounge and Bar. You'll also nab free food and drink throughout the day, plus get your mitts on a complimentary Collector Guide — so you'll be prepared when you're seriously considering spending all your life savings on a 1930s Bentley. If you're keen to get the royal treatment at Motorclassica, enter your details below to be in the running. [competition]740197[/competition]
Pasta doesn't get much better than this – even in Italy. Three of Australia's best Italian chefs are getting together to throw a Pasta Party. For one evening only, they'll be sharing their knowledge of old world traditions and new world innovations, in between serving up a four-course, decadent dinner with, of course, matching wines. Two members of the trio will by flying in from interstate for the occasion. They are Sydney's Mitch Orr of Acme fame and Perth's Joel Valvasori-Pereza, who heads up Lula La Delizia. Joining them will be Melbourne's Andreas Papadakis (Tipo 00). On arrival, you'll be greeted with a glass of rosé, before sitting down to your feast, during which each creation will be introduced by the chef who made it. Among the dishes planned are stracciatella with shiitake and brown butter; smoked garganelli with pork and fennel sausage and broccoli; and cacao tortellini with pine mushrooms. Dessert? Absolutely. Panna cotta vera with toasted walnuts and burnt orange syrup. All matching drops come from Brand's Laira, a multi-award winning winery in Coonawarra, South Australia, with the exception of the sticky, which is a Peter Lehmann botrytis semillon. The Pasta Party will take place at Melbourne Palms, a Palm Springs-inspired restaurant set to pop up in Fed Square throughout Good Food Month. The most delicious news of all is that we're giving away two tickets, worth $140 each. To check out Melbourne Good Food Month's full program and buy tickets, head to goodfoodmonth.com. To enter, see details below. [competition]670925[/competition] Images: Nikki To
The Melbourne Festival will shine a light on the works of Wang Bing, Cyprien Gaillard, Ila Beka and Louise Lemoine, as part of their free Capitol Film Works program, running every weekend during the festival. On October 12 and 13, Living Architectures mixes the mediums of cinema and architecture, with Parisian filmmakers Beka and Lemoine taking viewers through the everyday lives of some of Europe’s most beautiful buildings, including the Guggenheim Museum and the Jubilee Church in Rome. The epic's of Chinese documentarian Wang Bing will screen at two different locations. On October 19 and 20, the Capitol Theatre will project his two magnum opi: the nine hour long West of the Tracks, about a dying industrial district in Shenyang, as well as the even longer Crude Oil, a 14-hour, real time portrayal of oil workers in Qinghai. Melbourne’s Chinese Museum will also screen Fengming: A Chinese Memoir and Man with No Name on a loop throughout the duration of the festival. Shot on an iPhone in war-torn present day Iraq, Cyprien Gaillard’s experimental Artefacts will play on repeat across October 26 and 27, bringing the Capitol Program to a close. Gaillard will also be present for a Meet the Artist Q&A, as will Beka and Lemoine.
So much about The Many Saints of Newark is a matter of when, not if: when familiar characters will show up looking younger, when well-known New Jersey locations will be sighted and when someone will eat ziti. This all occurs because it must; it wouldn't be a prequel to The Sopranos otherwise. Servicing fans is a key reason the movie exists, and it's far more resonant if you've already spent 86 episodes with Tony Soprano and his mafia and blood families while watching one of the best TV shows ever made. This is a film with a potent air of inevitability, clearly. Thankfully, that feeling reaches beyond all the obligatory nods and winks. That some things are unavoidable — that giving people what they want doesn't always turn out as planned, and that constantly seeking more will never fix all of life's woes, too — pulsates through this origin story like a thumping bass line. And yes, on that topic, Alabama 3's 'Woke Up This Morning' obviously gets a spin. Penned by The Sopranos' creator David Chase and series alum Lawrence Konner, and helmed by veteran show director Alan Taylor, The Many Saints of Newark doesn't merely preach to existing devotees, even if they're the film's main audience. Marking the last of the big three 00s-era prestige US cable dramas to earn a movie spinoff — following El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie and Deadwood: The Movie — the feature is aware of its own genesis and of gangster genre staples in tandem. Casting Ray Liotta, who'll forever be associated with Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, was always going to show that. Travelling back to the 70s, when The Godfather franchise electrified cinema, does also. Indeed, The Many Saints of Newark plays like a hybrid of pop culture's three most influential and essential mob stories. A bold move, it also explains what works and what falters in a film that's powerful and engaging but firmly baked in a well-used oven. The first detail that Sopranos fans should've picked up when this flick first got a title: in Italian, many saints translates as moltisanti. While The Many Saints of Newark spends time with young Tony as a pre-teen in the late 60s (played by feature first-timer William Ludwig) and a teen in the early 70s (when The Deuce's Michael Gandolfini, son of the late, great James Gandolfini, steps into the character's shoes), its protagonist is Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola, The Art of Self-Defense). He's seen as an uncle and mentor by Tony, who'll eventually hold the same roles for Dickie's son. The Sopranos mainstay Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli, One Night in Miami) turns narrator here, in fact, offering knowing voiceover that occasionally channels the show's dark humour — calling out Christopher's death at Tony's hands, for instance. Dickie was recalled with reverence in the series, yet threw a shadow over Tony's middle-aged mob-boss malaise — as seen in his duck obsession, panic attacks and reluctant chats with a psychiatrist. Here, Dickie falls into a similar pattern with his dad 'Hollywood' Dick (Liotta, No Sudden Move), who returns from Italy to subject his new, much-younger bride Giuseppina (Michela De Rossi, The Rats) to domestic violence. One of The Many Saints of Newark's finest traits is its layering, honing in on cycles that keep echoing through generations as it examines Dickie's role in turning Tony into the man viewers watched from 1999–2007. Its greatest stroke of casting plays with the same notion as well, and the younger Gandolfini is a soulful yet primal revelation. To call his performance lived-in is the epitome of an understatement, and it's never a gimmick. Nivola is equally masterful, especially given that Dickie is torn in almost every way he can be. He abhors his father's treatment of Giuseppina with Oedipal fury, but also has a psychopathic temper. Part of the DiMeo crime family, he runs numbers in Newark with help from his football pal Harold (Leslie Odom Jr, Music), but all his cronies — Tony's father Johnny (Jon Bernthal, Those Who Wish Me Dead) included — couldn't be more overtly racist. The Many Saints of Newark uses the 1967 Newark riots about systemic prejudice as a defining event, too, although it's often treated as window dressing. One particularly spectacular shot sees Tony spy the resulting flames from his bedroom window, and Harold is mobilised to start his own gambling racket afterwards, but that's about as deep as the movie delves on the subject. It has other things to ponder in its tale about family, crime, loyalty, life and death, as Dickie is just as conflicted about Tony's future. Regarding the latter, The Many Saints of Newark takes a few cues from Breaking Bad prequel series Better Call Saul, with its origin story also a tragedy because we know the only place it can lead to. That's one reason the film blisters with emotion, even if the same standard gangster narrative could've easily been told without any ties to The Sopranos. It's also why all of the expected references feel a bit like a game of spotting the nudges in the moment — including Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) as Tony's mother Livia, Corey Stoll (Scenes From a Marriage) as his uncle Junior, and John Magaro (First Cow) and Billy Magnussen (Made for Love) as his future sidekicks Silvio and Paulie — but ultimately add authority. Still, in a world where The Sopranos changed TV forever — every television drama has been indebted to the groundbreaking HBO series for the past two decades — The Many Saints of Newark is also the most basic version of the film that plenty have dreamed about since a certain fade to black. It delivers what it sets out to, not just in resurrecting Tony by venturing backwards, but also in fleshing out backstory, grappling with recognisable themes and musing on generational repetitions. It serves up two stellar core performances, as set against handsome period staging. It's a fine-looking movie all-round, and its blue palette conveys a sense of sorrow that perfectly suits its task. But it treads in heftier footsteps and knows it — and while that's part of its message, it's a bit like snacking on gabagool after a hearty, life-changing serving of pasta.
