Like the idea of heading out bush to spend an evening kicking back beneath the night sky, stargazing, feasting and being entertained with live tunes? Well, that's all on the cards if you nab a ticket to A Night Under the Stars in Buchan this month. This star-filled adventure will take place amongst the rolling hills of The Stockmans Camp farm stay on Saturday, April 22, designed to enchant astronomy enthusiasts of all ages. Kicking off from 5.30pm, guests will enjoy a two-course country-style dinner followed by a cosy gathering around a roaring campfire, sipping hot chocolate, toasting marshmallows and soaking up the sweet sounds of Gippsland local Olivia Lay. [caption id="attachment_896484" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scott Kingman[/caption] But the night's main event will centre on what's happening above, as the Astronomical Society of Victoria guides punters on one of its sky tours, sharing the celestial secrets of the night sky and pointing out all of its major features. The team will even be bringing along a bunch of telescopes so you can get a next-level view of all those nebula, constellations and planets. You can drop by just for the event, with adult tickets priced at $65. Or, if you want to make a getaway of it, The Stockmans Camp has a range of onsite camping and cabin options available, starting from $20. [caption id="attachment_896487" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Stockmans Camp, by We Are Explorers[/caption] Top image: Scott Kingman
This article is sponsored by our partners, Wotif.com. If you’ve been thinking that tropical island holidays are all lazing on the sand and drinking cocktails by the pool, think again. Sure, you can make them an excuse to read every book in the Game of Thrones series or catch up on the 200 hours of sleep deprivation that you’ve clocked up over the past year, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Even if you’ve been to the Whitsundays before, there’s never a shortage of adventures to be had: from taking to the skies on a scenic flight to sailing on an old-school ship to spending a night sleeping under the stars on the Great Barrier Reef. Choose your own adventure. HIGH FLYER: SCENIC SEAPLANE FLIGHT Once you’ve seen the Great Barrier Reef from underwater, from the deck of a boat and from the land, there’s only one way left to the see it, really — from the sky. A scenic seaplane flight carries you soaring into the air, treating you to 60 solid minutes of bird’s eye views. Sights that will make you ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ like it’s New Year’s Eve all over again include the swirling sands of Hill Inlet, which look a bit like Impressionist artworks created by some enormous Druidic paintbrush; Bait Reef’s magical stepping stones; and Hardy Lagoon, the most photographed spot in the entire Great Barrier Reef National Park (and there’s some mean competition!). But they’re just the starting gun; the itinerary includes a sizeable list of other gobsmacking spots: Shute Harbour, Daydream Island, Hayman Island, Hook Island, the Molle Group of Islands, Whitsunday Island and the Whitsunday Passage. What’s more, it’s not all macroscopic panoramas. At various points, the seaplane descends to 500 feet, giving you the chance to partake in some turtle and ray spotting. Between June and October, you’re highly likely to see humpbacks, too. And for some added excitement, the pilot makes a touch-and-go water landing at the reef. Scenic flights carry between four and ten people each and depart from Airlie Beach. ALL-ROUND ADVENTURER: 3-DAY SAIL, SCUBA DIVE AND KAYAK Here’s the choose your own adventure option for indecisive types and commitment-phobes: the all-rounder. Why settle for one activity when you can take on the whole kit and caboodle? During this three-day extravaganza, you get to sail, snorkel, scuba dive, kayak and bush walk. Here’s how it works: for 72 hours or so, you live aboard the Summertime, a beautiful, traditional-style sailing vessel built in 1947, complete with rustic timber square rigging. But the good news is you don’t have to do any traditional living — if you don’t want to. You can get as olde worlde and Sailor Jerry-ish as you like, but you’ll still have the option of jumping into a freshwater hot Jacuzzi, turning on the air conditioning and dissolving in front of a DVD whenever you feel to. Nine luxurious berths make up the accommodation. The same goes for the action-packed itinerary. As the Summertime carries you from one secluded cove or silky-sanded beach to another, you can get involved in as many or as few activities as you like. Some travellers jump at every chance while others opt to spend every ounce of their precious energy moving between the Jacuzzi and the deck. It’s up to you. OUTDOOR NATURE LOVER: OVERNIGHT SLEEP ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF If you still haven’t recovered from reading Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe or perhaps Life of Pi, this one's for you. Pack your list of ‘top-five-items-I’d-take-with-me-to-a-desert-island’ and turn your long-cherished childhood survival fantasy into a reality. Given that the Great Barrier Reef is heritage listed, not to mention one of the world’s natural wonders, you can’t just go around sleeping on any old coral bed of your choosing; in fact, there’s only one place on the reef where you’re able to catch some shut-eye, and this adventure — dubbed Reefsleep — is it. A high-speed luxury vessel transports you for an 11am arrival. You spend the day doing as you please — be it swimming, grabbing a massage, snorkelling, diving, catching a heli-scenic flight or checking out the local underwater viewing chamber. Then, at 3pm, the ship splits the scene, leaving you, your fellow adventurers and the crew all on your lonesome. The only guests you can expect are some turtles who drop by at dusk for a seaweed feast. A maximum of 12 overnighters is permitted at any one time and accommodation is in the form of good ol’ Aussie swag — available in single or double sizes. Food is included in the deal. ISLAND EXPLORER: WHITSUNDAY ISLAND HOPPER PASS Do you have an aversion to strict timetables and pre-planned activities? Island hopping is the way to go. With this pass, you can travel The Whitsundays at your own pace and according to your own itinerary. It gives you access to high-speed vessels that spend all day travelling between Daydream Island and Long Island, dropping off and picking up guests at their whim. Between the two islands, pretty much any tropical activity is on the cards. While the time away sunbaking and swimming or get deep with a dose of snorkelling or scuba diving. Alternatively, stay terrestrial with long beach strolls, rainforest walks or a round or two on Daydream Island’s 19-hole mini golf course. There’s also a variety of restaurants, cafes and cocktail bars. The Whitsunday Island Hopper boats leave from Abel Point Marina throughout the day. You’re advised to take your toothbrush and credit card with you, just in case you miss the last ride back and wind up island-bound for the night. Book your Whitsundays escape now via Wotif.com.
The cola wars are now fought on a battlefield of green credentials: Coke and Pepsi are already in an arms race over the sustainability of their bottles, and now Coke has taken the fight to shelving. Their Give It Back displays are made from recycled Coke packaging cardboard and are designed to be used, then recycled again once past their 'shelf-life'. While there is very little new in the concept — at the end of the day, it's just recycled cardboard — it's good to see the drinks giant taking up new green initiatives, which will hopefully provoke others into following suit or coming up with their own ideas. As an added bonus, it should help Americans (the shelving is only planned for US stores) come to appreciate the humble corrugated cardboard. Of course, here in Australia we're reminded of its sturdiness every election, but Coke's initiative should help people start to accept cardboard as more than just the stuff things come in. Research into the properties of cardboard suggest it could be an ideal building material for housing. [via core77]
Thomas M. Wright, director of Doku Rai (you, dead man, I don't believe you), prefaces our interview with a disclaimer. "The difficult thing to begin, with talking about Doku Rai, is to acknowledge that we can only ever scrape the surface," he asserts, caffeine-eyed after "seven hours' sleep over the past four days". "Talking to me about this production is like talking to one angle of a cut stone. You're only going to see it through my prism. Every time I talk with others involved, the number of refractions is just infinite. You'll hear every event from a different perspective. The stories are limitless." Doku Rai is a collaboration between Melbourne's Black Lung Theatre and Whaling Firm and "East Timorese rock gods" Liurai Fo'er and Galaxy. It opened last year at Darwin Festival, Melbourne Arts House and Adelaide Festival. Having appeared at Brisbane Festival last week, it will come to Carriageworks on 25-28 September. As well as being a co-founder of the Black Lung and renowned theatre actor, you might remember Wright for his role as Johnno Mitcham in Jane Campion's Top of the Lake, for which he received a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 2013 US Critics' Choice Awards. AN ABANDONED HOTEL, A REMOTE ISLAND Doku Rai is the first ever international theatre production to emerge from Timor-Leste. Conceived in 1999 when Wright met East Timorese actor, rock star and ex-guerrilla fighter Osme Gonsalves on the set of Balibo, it came to fruition 18 months ago. For 60 days, 30 Australian and East Timorese creatives holed themselves up in an abandoned colonial motel on the volcanic island of Atauro. Their mission: to create an epic work of cross-cultural collaboration; their method: undecided. "The word confronting doesn't even begin to describe the process of making this work," Wright says. "The writing was very complex. It took a lot of different forms — slabs of text from anecdotes, personal conversations, improvisation, individuals' writing, writing that already existed — interwoven in a way that an audience can only sense, and not really know, because there are so many circumstances, histories, myths and real events. But that's what gives it its sense of depth." TWO BROTHERS, A CURSE AND A DEATHLESS MURDER At Doku Rai's core is the "mythical structure" of two brothers, a curse and a man who is killed but cannot die. "A doku is a curse — a weapon — that has been used through the past twelve generations or more of occupied Timorese," Wright explains. "It's a tool by which, in a ceremony, you take all the coherence from a person, you rob them of their faculties, and that makes them vulnerable for you to do what you will with them. "Literally, the act of doku is 'turning over'. So, you set a table for a meal, with a place set for the absent person. You all share in the food, and at the end, you perform a ceremony. You cut open the liver of a chicken to get an augury and then turn the absent guest's plate, bowl and glass upside down. That is the acting of the curse. 'Rai' means earth, soil, so Doku Rai means 'to curse the earth', or 'the turning of the earth'." SHATTERING PATERNAL ASSUMPTIONS With this imagery at its dark heart, Doku Rai is driven by the personal, rather than the political. Unconfined by a linear narrative or governing aesthetic, it combines rock music, multimedia, unexpected dashes of black humour and a surprise guest, in the form of a live rooster, in an indefinite setting. "It has moorings in the world of East Timor and echoes of the Portuguese colonial past, but it's a fictional reality," Wright explains. "It has, certainly not aesthetic echoes of the Australian engagement, but thematic ties ... In Australia, we do have a very condescending, very paternal relationship with a lot of our neighbours. And we wanted to shatter that — to make something on purely personal terms. We know that the political implications and political realities are all there; we don't need to foreground them. They take care of themselves, just by dealing with personal stories. Beyond [Doku Rai] is a three-dimensional, constantly evolving life, with a past that goes back a long way and a future that also extends outward. There is certainly a responsibility with the audience to invest - to place themselves into scenarios and to consider the real people and the circumstances behind the making of the work. No matter how interesting and taut and strong a work we make, it's only ever going to be as interesting as the process of making it, at best." REHEARSING THROUGH BLACK OUTS AND GUN BATTLES That process was about as "interesting" as it gets. Wright and his team battled black outs, water shortages and gun battles. "When we did the show in Dili," he recalls, "we had to do it in very reduced circumstances, because there was a total 'no movement' order issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Violence had broken out following an election, which was very, very frightening. Half of us were stranded on the island and half of us were in lockdown in a house which was isolated down a corridor of gangs in Dili. Our producer, Alex Ben-Mayor, had to drive through a gun fight. Two of the students of our production members were shot in the head and killed by police." That's but a microcosm of what daily life in East Timor can entail. "To be honest, and to be clear, their stories are screaming to be told," Wright asserts. "We've told our stories for years and years and years." Doku Rai (you, dead man, i don't believe you) will show at Carriageworks between Wednesday September 25 and Saturday September 28, 2013. Shows start at 8pm, plus there's an additional 2pm matinee on Saturday September 28. Tickets, $35, are available online.
Life is a bit of a rollercoaster ride at the moment. Yes, that's an understatement. Lockdowns, restrictions, new community cases, growing exposure sites lists — they're all providing quite the ups and downs, and have been throughout the pandemic. Prefer to ride the peaks and troughs on actual theme park attractions? We all do, and now Disney+ has a new series about just that. Across ten episodes — the first five of which will drop on the streaming platform on Wednesday, July 21 — Behind the Attraction covers exactly what's on the label. It heads to the Mouse House's sprawling theme parks, checks out some of the popular rides found within them and tells their tales. Disney loves an origin story, after all, and it has the Marvel and Star Wars movies to prove it, so of course it's now giving its real-life attractions the same treatment. Viewers can find out more about Disney's Haunted Mansion attraction and Space Mountain ride, as well as The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Star Tours that form part of the recently launched Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. And, Jungle Cruise also earns some attention, complete with Dwayne Johnson lending a hand — with the movie of the same name, starring Johnson, due in cinemas from Thursday, July 29 and on Disney+ on Friday, July 30. As well as talking heads expressing their enthusiasm for these attractions and explaining how they work, the series features archival and never-before-seen footage and photographs that step through the rides' histories. Explaining how they've evolved, and how technology has assisted, is a part of the show as well. Clearly, Behind the Attraction is basically an advertisement for Disney's theme parks. Physically hopping on a rollercoaster hasn't been high on most folks' to-do lists during the last year or so — and definitely isn't right now if you're a Sydneysider or Melburnian currently in lockdown — so consider this a way to scratch that itch from home. Check out the trailer below: The first five episodes of Behind the Attraction will be available to view via Disney+ from Wednesday, July 21.
It's been 357 days and many excruciating hours of silence since the last episode of Serial season one appeared on our Podcasts app and life ceased to be as thrilling as it once was. But now, after almost a year of insane anticipation, Sarah Koenig and the This American Life crew have uploaded the first episode of season two. And, boy, is the Internet excited. While season one focused solely on the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee and whether the conviction of her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed for the crime was right or wrong, this season's story looks like it will be asking more than one question. It will follow the story of Bowe Bergdahl, the American soldier who, in 2009, walked off his army base in Afghanistan, was captured by the Taliban and held as a prisoner of war for five years. There has since been speculation as to whether other soldiers died directly or indirectly because of his actions. And now, he's been charged with desertion and misbehaviour before the enemy, which could result in a life sentence. Oof. The podcast was released yesterday morning U.S. time, and host Sarah Koenig promptly posted this on the Serial website: "This story—it spins out in so many unexpected directions. Because, yes, it’s about Bowe Bergdahl and about one strange decision he made, to leave his post. (And Bergdahl, by the way, is such an interesting and unusual guy, not like anyone I’ve encountered before.) But it’s also about all of the people affected by that decision, and the choices they made. Unlike our story in Season One, this one extends far out into the world. It reaches into swaths of the military, the peace talks to end the war, attempts to rescue other hostages, our Guantanamo policy. What Bergdahl did made me wrestle with things I’d thought I more or less understood, but really didn’t: what it means to be loyal, to be resilient, to be used, to be punished." The podcast will be one of the first times the public has heard from Bergdahl and — if season one is anything to go by — it will surely be as gloriously addictive to listen to as it is to talk about with everyone from your colleagues to the lady sitting next to you on the bus. Sarah, it's so good to hear your voice again. You can listen to the first episode here.
First, Trent Dalton's Brisbane-set Boy Swallows Universe earned love on the page. Then, it became a stage hit. Next, it wowed audiences as a streaming miniseries — and from 22 nominations, now that show is a 12-time AACTA winner. Across two ceremonies on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 and Friday, February 7, 2025, the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts crowned its picks of the past year. Among its accolades, Boy Swallows Universe picked up Best Miniseries, Best Screenplay in Television, and every TV acting gong it could, with Felix Cameron, Phoebe Tonkin, Lee Tiger Halley and Deborah Mailman all collecting trophies. The AACTAs award both small- and big-screen excellence, with more multiple winners coming from the cinema side of the ceremony. After making history with 16 nominations, the most of any movie ever, unconventional Robbie Williams biopic Better Man — which portrays the British singer as a chimpanzee — nabbed nine prizes. Among them: Best Film, Best Lead Actor for Jonno Davies and Best Director for Michael Gracey. From 15 nominations, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga went home with five awards — with George Miller's fifth film in the iconic dystopian franchise rewarded for its cinematography, costume design, hair and makeup, production design and sound. Adam Elliot's gorgeous and heartfelt (and Oscar-nominated) Memoir of a Snail earned two awards, both for its voice acting, for Sarah Snook and Jacki Weaver. Other titles to emerge victorious include Best Drama and Best Soundtrack recipient Heartbreak High; music-to-screen production How to Make Gravy, which aptly earned the Best Original Song prize; Birdeater, anointed Best Indie Film; TV's Fisk, winning for Best Narrative Comedy Series and Best Acting in a Comedy for Kitty Flanagan; Bluey, taking home Best Children's Program and Best Original Score in Television; and Hard Quiz for Best Comedy Entertainment Program and Best Comedy Performer for Tom Gleeson. Also, Otto by Otto won Best Documentary, Anne Edmonds: Why Is My Bag All Wet? collected Best Stand-Up Special and Ladies in Black was awarded Best Costume Design in Television — and the list of winners goes on, spanning Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line, Mozart's Sister, The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process, Spicks and Specks, Muster Dogs, Miriam Margolyes Impossibly Australian, Grand Designs Australia and MasterChef Australia as well. As always, not everything deserving of love went home with a trophy — but that doesn't mean that Thou Shalt Not Steal, Colin From Accounts and The Artful Dodger, or Audrey, High Country, Christmess, You'll Never Find Me or Territory aren't all great. Here's everything that won — and was nominated: 2025 AACTA Award Winners and Nominees Film Awards Best Film Better Man — WINNER Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga How to Make Gravy Late Night with the Devil Memoir of a Snail Runt Best Indie Film Before Dawn Birdeater — WINNER Christmess Just a Farmer The Emu War You'll Never Find Me Best Direction in Film Better Man, Michael Gracey — WINNER Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, George Miller How to Make Gravy, Nick Waterman Late Night with the Devil, Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes Memoir of a Snail, Adam Elliot Best Lead Actress in Film Laura Gordon, Late Night with the Devil Sarah Snook, Memoir of a Snail — WINNER Jackie van Beek, Audrey Anya Taylor-Joy, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Anna Torv, Force of Nature: The Dry 2 Phoebe Tonkin, Kid Snow Best Lead Actor in Film Eric Bana, Force of Nature: The Dry 2 David Dastmalchian, Late Night with the Devil Jonno Davies, Better Man — WINNER Daniel Henshall, How to Make Gravy Guy Pearce, The Convert Kodi Smit-McPhee, Memoir of a Snail Best Supporting Actress in Film Alyla Browne, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Hannah Diviney, Audrey Kate Mulvany, Better Man Kate Mulvany, How to Make Gravy Ingrid Torelli, Late Night with the Devil Jacki Weaver, Memoir of a Snail — WINNER Best Supporting Actor in Film Fayssal Bazzi, Late Night with the Devil Chris Hemsworth, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Damon Herriman, Better Man — WINNER Damon Herriman, How to Make Gravy Richard Roxburgh, Force of Nature: The Dry 2 Hugo Weaving, How to Make Gravy Best Screenplay in Film Better Man, Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey — WINNER Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, George Miller, Nico Lathouris How to Make Gravy, Meg Washington, Nick Waterman Late Night with the Devil, Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes Memoir of a Snail, Adam Elliot Best Cinematography in Film Better Man, Erik A. Wilson, Matt Toll, Ashley Wallen Force of Nature: The Dry 2, Andrew Commis Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Simon Duggan — WINNER Late Night with the Devil, Matthew Temple Memoir of a Snail, Gerald Thompson Best Editing in Film Better Man, Martin Connor, Lee Smith, Spencer Susser, Jeff Groth, Patrick Correll — WINNER Force of Nature: The Dry 2, Alexandre de Franceschi, Maria Papoutsis Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Eliot Knapman, Margaret Sixel Late Night with the Devil, Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes Memoir of a Snail, Bill Murphy Best Casting in Film Better Man, Alison Telford, Kate Leonard, Kate Dowd — WINNER Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Nikki Barrett How to Make Gravy, Nikki Barrett Late Night with the Devil, Leigh Pickford Runt, Kirsty McGregor, Annie Murtagh-Monks Best Costume Design in Film Better Man, Cappi Ireland Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Jenny Beavan — WINNER How to Make Gravy, Christina Validakis Late Night with the Devil, Steph Hooke Runt, Terri Lamera Best Original Score in Film Better Man, Batu Sener — WINNER Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Tom Holkenborg How to Make Gravy, Sam Dixon Late Night with the Devil, Roscoe James Irwin, Glenn Richards Memoir of a Snail, Elena Kats-Chernin Best Production Design in Film Better Man, Joel Chang, Lisa Brennan Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Colin Gibson, Katie Sharrock — WINNER How to Make Gravy, Benjamin Fountain, Peter Kodicek Late Night with the Devil, Otello Stolfo Memoir of a Snail, Adam Elliot Best Sound in Film Better Man, Paul Pirola, Guntis Sics, Greg P. Russell, Tom Marks, Andy Nelson, Tim Ryan Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Robert Mackenzie, Ben Osmo, James Ashton, Yulia Akerholt, Jessica Meier, Tom Holkenborg — WINNER How to Make Gravy, Craig Walmsley, Stuart Morton, Diego Ruiz, Sam Hayward, Evan McHugh Late Night with the Devil, Emma Bortignon, Manel Lopez, Pete Smith, Cameron Grant Memoir of a Snail, David Williams, Andy Wright, Lee Yee, Dylan Burgess Documentary Awards Best Documentary A Horse Named Winx Every Little Thing Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line Otto by Otto — WINNER Porcelain War The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process Best Cinematography in a Documentary Megafauna: What Killed Australia's Giants?, Jeff Siberry Skategoat, Dan Freene, Jordan Ritz The Mission, Dean Brosche The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process, Geoffrey Hall, Emerson Hoskin — WINNER The Speedway Murders, Maxx Corkindale Best Editing in a Documentary Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line, Gretchen Peterson — WINNER ONEFOUR: Against All Odds, Johanna Scott Revealed: Ben Roberts Smith Truth on Trial, Orly Danon The Speedway Murders, Sean Lahiff Welcome to Babel, Karen Johnson Best Original Score in a Documentary Aquarius, Damien Lane Brand Bollywood Downunder, Dmitri Golovko, Burkhard Dallwitz, Brett Aplin Mozart's Sister, Jessica Wells — WINNER Otto by Otto, Stefan Gregory The Speedway Murders, Antony Partos, Jackson Milas, Josh Pearson, Josie Mann Best Sound in a Documentary A Horse Named Winx, Abigail Sie Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line, Wayne Pashley, Travis Handley, Stephen Hopes, Jason King Mozart's Sister, Damian Jory — WINNER The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process, Pete Smith, Tom Heuzenroeder The Speedway Murders, Michael Darren, Pete Smith, Des Kenneally, Hamish Keen Short Film Awards Best Short Film And the Ocean Agreed Before We Sleep Die Bully Die Favourites Gorgo — WINNER Why We Fight Television Awards Best Drama Series Fake Heartbreak High — WINNER The Artful Dodger The Twelve Thou Shalt Not Steal Total Control Best Narrative Comedy Series Austin Bump Colin From Accounts Fisk — WINNER Strife The Office Best Miniseries Boy Swallows Universe — WINNER Exposure Four Years Later House of Gods Human Error Last Days of the Space Age Best Lead Actor in a Drama Zac Burgess, Boy Swallows Universe Felix Cameron, Boy Swallows Universe — WINNER Rob Collins, Total Control Brendan Cowell, Plum Sam Neill, The Twelve Noah Taylor, Thou Shalt Not Steal Best Lead Actress in a Drama Asher Keddie, Fake Deborah Mailman, Total Control Leah Purcell, High Country Anna Torv, Territory Phoebe Tonkin, Boy Swallows Universe — WINNER Sherry-Lee Watson, Thou Shalt Not Steal Best Acting in a Comedy Patrick Brammall, Colin From Accounts Aaron Chen, Fisk Harriet Dyer, Colin From Accounts Kitty Flanagan, Fisk — WINNER Genevieve Hegney, Colin From Accounts Asher Keddie, Strife Michael Theo, Austin Felicity Ward, The Office Best Comedy Performer Wil Anderson, Taskmaster Australia Aaron Chen, Guy Montgomery's Guy-Mont Spelling Bee Anne Edmonds, Taskmaster Australia Tom Gleeson, Hard Quiz — WINNER Guy Montgomery, Guy Montgomery's Guy-Mont Spelling Bee Charlie Pickering, The Weekly with Charlie Pickering Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Essie Davis, Exposure Rachel Griffiths, Total Control Heather Mitchell, Fake Deborah Mailman, Boy Swallows Universe — WINNER Sophie Wilde, Boy Swallows Universe Asher Yasbincek, Heartbreak High Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Simon Baker, Boy Swallows Universe Wayne Blair, Total Control Bryan Brown, Boy Swallows Universe Travis Fimmel, Boy Swallows Universe Lee Tiger Halley, Boy Swallows Universe — WINNER Ewen Leslie, Prosper Best Direction in Drama or Comedy Boy Swallows Universe, Bharat Nalluri — WINNER Colin From Accounts, Trent O'Donnell Colin From Accounts, Madeline Dyer Fake, Emma Freeman Thou Shalt Not Steal, Dylan River Best Direction in Nonfiction Television Anne Edmonds: Why Is My Bag All Wet?, Simon Francis Better Date Than Never, Mariel Thomas Muster Dogs, Sally Browning — WINNER Stuff the British Stole, Marc Fennell The Jury: Death on the Staircase, Tosca Looby, Ben Lawrence Best Screenplay in Television Boy Swallows Universe, John Collee — WINNER Colin From Accounts, Patrick Brammall, Harriet Dyer Fake, Anya Beyersdorf Fisk, Penny Flanagan, Kitty Flanagan Thou Shalt Not Steal, Tanith Glynn-Maloney, Sophie Miller, Dylan River Best Cinematography in Television Boy Swallows Universe, Shelley Farthing-Dawe — WINNER Boy Swallows Universe, Mark Wareham Exposure, Aaron McLisky Territory, Simon Duggan Thou Shalt Not Steal, Tyson Perkins Best Editing in Television Boy Swallows Universe, Mark Perry — WINNER Colin From Accounts, Danielle Boesenberg Exposure, Leila Gaabi Fisk, Katie Flaxman The Artful Dodger, Rodrigo Balart Best Entertainment Program Dancing with the Stars LEGO® Masters Australia vs The World Mastermind Spicks and Specks — WINNER The 1% Club Tipping Point Australia Best Comedy Entertainment Program Guy Montgomery's Guy-Mont Spelling Bee Hard Quiz — WINNER Have You Been Paying Attention? Thank God You're Here The Cheap Seats The Weekly with Charlie Pickering Best Factual Entertainment Program Alone Australia Gogglebox Australia Muster Dogs — WINNER Stuff the British Stole Take 5 with Zan Rowe The Assembly Best Documentary or Factual Program Australia's Sleep Revolution with Dr Michael Mosley I Was Actually There Maggie Beer's Big Mission Miriam Margolyes Impossibly Australian — WINNER Ray Martin: The Last Goodbye Who Do You Think You Are? Best Children's Program Bluey — WINNER Eddie's Lil Homies Hard Quiz Kids Little J & Big Cuz Play School: Big Ted's Time Machine Spooky Files Best Stand-Up Special Anne Edmonds: Why Is My Bag All Wet? — WINNER Lloyd Langford: Current Mood Mel Buttle: Let Me Know Either Way? Melbourne International Comedy Festival — The Allstars Supershow Melbourne International Comedy Festival — The Gala Rove McManus: Loosey Goosey Best Lifestyle Program Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia Gardening Australia Grand Designs Australia — WINNER Grand Designs Transformations Restoration Australia Selling Houses Australia Best Reality Program Australian Idol Australian Survivor: Titans V Rebels MasterChef Australia — WINNER Shark Tank Australia The Amazing Race The Great Australian Bake Off Best Casting in Television Boy Swallows Universe, Nikki Barrett — WINNER Colin From Accounts, Kirsty McGregor, Stevie Ray Fake, Nathan Lloyd The Artful Dodger, Leigh Pickford The Twelve, Kirsty McGregor Best Costume Design in Television Boy Swallows Universe, Kerry Thompson Heartbreak High, Rita Carmody Ladies in Black, Marion Boyce — WINNER Swift Street, Ntombi Moyo The Artful Dodger, Xanthe Heubel Best Original Score in Television Bluey, Joff Bush, Daniel O'Brien, Jazz Darcy, Joseph Twist — WINNER Boy Swallows Universe, Johnny Klimek, Gabriel Isaac Mounsey Exposure, Mikey Young The Artful Dodger, Antony Partos Thou Shalt Not Steal, Vincent Goodyer Best Sound in Television Bluey, Dan Brumm Boy Swallows Universe, Sam Hayward, Scott Mulready, Danielle Wiessner, Nigel Christensen — WINNER Exposure, Paul Finlay, Andrew Miller, Joe Mount, Jared Dwyer Territory, Josh Williams, Pete Smith, Duncan Campbell, Tom Heuzenroeder Thou Shalt Not Steal, Dylan Barfield, Gavin Marsh, Luke Mynott, Tania Vlassova Online Awards Best Online Drama or Comedy Bad Ancestors Buried — WINNER Descent Girl Crush Urvi Went to an All Girls School Videoland Other Awards Best Hair and Makeup Boy Swallows Universe, Angela Conte, Karen Kelly, Anna Gray, Rachel Murphy Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Lesley Vanderwalt, Larry Van Duynhoven, Matteo Silvi, Luca Vannella — WINNER Ladies in Black, John Logue The Artful Dodger, Lynne O'Brien The Moogai, Nick Nicolaou, Paul Katte, Carol Cameron Best Original Song 'Dream On' by Meg Washington, Electric Fields and The Prison Choir, How to Make Gravy 'Fine' by Meg Washington, Electric Fields and The Prison Choir, How to Make Gravy — WINNER 'Forbidden Road' by Robbie Williams, Freddy Wexler and Sacha Skarbek, Better Man 'Side By Side' by Paul Kelly, Runt 'Streetlights' by Jacob Harvey, Under Streetlights Best Soundtrack Better Man, Jordan Carroll Boy Swallows Universe, Jemma Burns Heartbreak High, Jemma Burns — WINNER How to Make Gravy, Meg Washington Last Days of the Space Age, Allegra Caldwell Best Visual Effects or Animation Alien: Romulus, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Jhon Alvarado, Alé Melendez, Sebastian Ravagnani, Nicolas Caillier – Industrial Light & Magic Better Man, Luke Millar, Andy Taylor, Craig Young, Tim Walker – Wētā — WINNER Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Andrew Jackson, Jason Bath, Guido Wolter, Rachel Copp, Andy Williams, Lloyd Finnemore – Rising Sun Pictures The Fall Guy, Matt Sloan, Chris McClintock, Matt Greig, Rachel Copp, Dan Oliver – Rising Sun Pictures Transformers One, Frazer Churchill, Fiona Chilton, Stephen King, Feargal Stewart, Alex Popescu – Industrial Light & Magic The 2025 AACTAs took place on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 and Friday, February 7, 2025 at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast — and you can check out the full list of nominees and winners on AACTA's website.
If you're feeling a tad jealous of seeing half the people you know living their European dream holiday (where do these people get the money?), you're in luck. The Europa Night Market is making its much-anticipated to Queen Victoria Market for 2023, brightening up Wednesdays from September 27–October 25. Bellissimo. The market will host a vibrant Euro-style bazaar that will teleport you to a different European destination each week, with food, drinks, entertainment and market stalls to match. Kicking things off on Wednesday, September 27, the market will be saying 'ciao' to the flavours and sounds of Italy, with bites like Sicilian-style fried arancini, woodfired 400 Gradi pizza and homemade panzerotti. Wednesday, October 4 will see the market transform into a little Oktoberfest for Bavarian night. Then, Wednesday, October 11 will be a celebration of all things French with an evening of oozy raclette and decadent traditional French crepes — with your choice of fillings including Nutella and Biscoff. Oh, and keep an eye out for the French mime artists. The Iberian Peninsula gets a look-in on Wednesday, October 18, with paella and Portuguese street food from Portuguese Churrasqueira BBQ complete with entertainment by Spanish and Portuguese flamenco dancers. Wrapping things up on Wednesday, October 25 is a celebration of all things Mediterranean, with melodies of Greek folk songs acting as the perfect soundtrack for sipping a Greek Blue Spritz from Spritz Bar (made from ouzo and spiced rum). Partner that with a souvlaki from Greek Trojan Yiros and the late spring air and you may as well really be on a Greek Island somewhere on the Aegean Sea.
How will Sex Education climax? That's the big streaming question for September, when the hit Netflix series returns for its fourth season and also says farewell. How will Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield, Flux Gourmet) and his friends fare at a new school? What happens when he has a fellow teen sex therapist also giving his peers advice? How stressed is Eric (Ncuti Gatwa, the next Doctor Who) about making a good first impression among his new classmates? What will university in the US bring for Maeve (Emma Mackey, Barbie)? Add those to the queries that'll be answered on Thursday, September 21. Back in July, Netflix announced two things: that Sex Education would finally drop new episodes this spring, but that this'd be its big finish. Following a teaser trailer at the same time, the platform has now revealed a full sneak peek at how the show will wrap up its roll in streaming's sheets. As always, a whole lot of teen drama and chaos is on its way. Since 2019, Netflix has taken viewers to the fictional Moordale Secondary School, where Otis followed his sex-therapist mum Jean's (Gillian Anderson, The Great) lead and started helping his schoolmates with their romantic and sexual struggles — as he himself tussled with his own troubles, and also with his feelings for Maeve. When Sex Education unveils its last run, the series will move the action over to Cavendish Sixth Form College. Queue plenty of the trains of thought outlined above, as well as big changes, new beginnings and new challenges. When Sex Education creator, lead writer and executive producer Laurie Nunn announced that the show was saying goodbye, she said that the series' team "wanted to make a show that would answer some of the questions we all used to have about love, sex, friendship and our bodies. Something that would have helped our inner teenagers feel a little less alone. It's been overwhelming seeing how the show has connected with people around the world, and we hope it's made some of you feel a little less alone, too." "This was not an easy decision to make, but as the themes and the stories of the new season crystallised, it became clear that it was the right time to graduate," Nunn continued about bringing Sex Education to an end. As well as Butterfield, Anderson, plus Barbie co-stars Gatwa, Mackey and Connor Swindells, Sex Education will also see Aimee-Lou Wood (Living) back as Aimee and Kedar Williams-Stirling (Small Axe) as Jackson — among other familiar faces. Helping them say cheerio: Schitt's Creek favourite Dan Levy, Thaddea Graham (Doctor Who), Lisa McGrillis (Last Night in Soho), Marie Reuther (The Kingdom), Jodie Turner Smith (White Noise) and Eshaan Akbar (Spitting Image). Check out the full trailer for Sex Education season four below: Sex Education season four will stream via Netflix from Thursday, September 21. Images: Samuel Taylor / Netflix.
It's the silly season, which means top tipples with your family, friends and work besties. Booze doesn't just make for a good time; it also makes for a great gift idea. If you're struggling to come up with a good grog gift this festive season, we've got you covered. Here's our round-up of drinks that tickled our fancy these holidays, from top-shelf whiskies to alcohol-removed wines. WINE 'Tis the season to cheers to the sun, and what better way than with some natty wines for Friend-mas. If you have a mate who loves their natties or is just dipping their toes into this world of wild ferments, SPON by Odd Culture wine shop and bar has curated the ultimate gift pack dubbed the Natty Wine Primer. It includes a sparkling pét-nat, white, red (one best served chilled) and a couple of skin contact numbers (orange and rosé). If you're looking for more bubbles, it's also slinging a gift pack called The Most Wonderful Time of the Year with a sparkling shiraz perfect for Christmas day, a grand cru champagne for New Year's Eve and an easy-going pét-nat for New Year's Day brunch. If the vinophile on your gift list is all about tradition, a case of wine from one of Australia's first families of wine should be on your shopping list. Brown Family Wines is Aussie through and through and now has five wine brands under its belt: Brown Brothers, Pirie, Devil's Corner, Tamar Ridge, and Innocent Bystander. You can't go wrong with the new Tarrango chilled red wine for something youthful and fresh. For something plush and velvety, Devil's Corner has a range of Tassie pinots that will make for a great vino on the Christmas table. There's also a slew of wine advent calendars on the market, from Good Pair Days to Laithwaite's Wines, if you'd prefer to leave the wine selections up to the somms. Good Pair Days has some of the best merch out there for a wine-lover, and it's no different with the wine advent calendars on offer this year. You can choose from options with a picnic set, a wine chiller set, a beach box — complete with a tote bag, hat and towel — or the standard pack. WHISK(E)Y Is your mum a fan of the dark spirits? Is your bestie a whisky fiend? Here are our top choices for the spirit savants in your lift this silly season. There are so many kinds of whiskies out there, but if you're on the lookout for something that's trying something new, you can't go wrong with Waterford Whisky. It's an Irish tipple that celebrates and advocates for terroir in whisky, and it only uses local Irish-grown grain with organic and biodynamic options on its roster. For something even more uncommon, opt for the peated version; it's the only whisky on the market that uses Irish peat to dry its barley. Plus, the blue glass bottle looks great on the shelf. If you know your whisky-lover is a sucker for scotch, you could go for Waterford Whisky's spiritual cousin, Bruichladdich. Another dram that celebrates terroir (started by the same person, in fact). The unpeated, non-chill-filtered single malt whisky, The Classic Laddie, is a crowd-pleasing option that works for many palates. If you want to surprise them with some top-shelf whiskies, you can always check out The Whisky Ark, which offers premium membership options, and has an excellent selection of scotch like Tamdhu and Glengoyne as well as exclusive Japanese whiskies. If you can't decide on a particular dram, leave the selection to the experts and go for an advent calendar. Liquor Loot puts out a gin and whisky calendar every year, and this year has expressions from Japan, Australia, Ireland, America, Scotland and more. And if you want to gift something that will keep surprising them throughout the year, why not set them up with a Whisky Club membership? Every month, they'll receive a new and often exclusive drop like the festive collab from Westward Whiskey and Rutherglen winery Stanton & Killeen: the Westward Whiskey Vintage Muscat Cask. GIN What's Christmas without cocktails, and what are cocktails without gin? There are literally thousands of versions of gins on the market today. From Australian drops that highlight native botanicals like Hickson House and Green Ant Gin to Japanese takes highlighting unique flora like Roku. Gin is special because it is very malleable, taking on the flavour profiles of whatever botanical is used. Kangaroo Island Gin is a new favourite of ours, and it has just released a special Spiced Pudding Gin that will bring a festive flair to your mate's G&T with cinnamon, clove, dried fruits and spice. If you know your gin-tastic friend isn't into traditional festive flavours, Four Pillars has launched its collab with Go-To skincare, 'My New Go-To Gin' made with quandong (Australia's native peach) to amp up that stone fruit goodness, perfect for summery cocktails over the holidays. TEQUILA Now, this spirit can be a bit of a dark horse, not unlike the person who usually calls for tequila shots at your Christmas holiday party. Why not go for the real deal, something extra special with a blow-the-budget option for your bestie with Herradura Legend? It is a first-of-its-kind Añejo tequila that has only recently launched in Australia. It's made with 100% blue weber agave that is traditionally cooked, naturally fermented, twice distilled, and matured for at least 12 months in heavily charred new American white oak barrels, resulting in soft caramel, toasted vanilla, oak, and lingering hints of agave. You could even convert some staunch whisky-only drinkers with this spirit. FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT Not everyone is reaching for the classic whiskies and bourbons. Some people like to be more adventurous with their palate with grappa, moonshine, ouzo, arak and rakija. Sydney-based DNA Distillery makes the traditional Balkan fruit brandy rakija with Aussie shiraz grapes in classic, gold and pear (made with Aussie pears) expressions, perfect for your friend who has no more space on their wine rack and is over gin. It even has a gift box perfect for the flavour seeker in your life looking for something new. Did you have a mate who finally got to go on their Euro summer and hasn't been quiet about it since? Let them relive that luxe-Euro vibe with Tommy's Booze. The Melbourne-based Italian liquor company has put together a gift set with full-sized bottles of limoncello, mandarino, and lampone, perfect for those who love a refreshing digestif after the Christmas feast. NON-ALCOHOLIC If you have a mate who has opted to be dry, there's no reason not to treat them to the excellent non-alc options out there. Like Edenvale Wines, alcohol-removed wines are mindfully made to recreate the flavour profile of traditional alcoholic wines. We loved the GSM blend that tricked our unofficial drinks expert. For people who love the taste of beer but not the buzz, Heaps Normal is a crowd favourite, but Capital Brewing Co. is also pushing out some quality booze-free brews. And if you want to give them a selection, Beer Cartel has you covered with its cracking alcohol-free craft beer mixed pack. Top Images: Our Whisky Foundation Christina Kernohan, Liquor Loot.
2014 is looking to be a good year for music in Australia and New Zealand, with visits from Neko Case and Gold Panda. Indie rocker and singer/songwriter Neko Case (of The New Pornographers) has announced a tour of Australia and New Zealand for the release of her newest solo album, The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I fight, The More I Love You. Released this past September, this is Case's first album since 2009's extremely popular Middle Cyclone. The Worse Things Get... is full of tracks with the same vigour and bluntness that audiences appreciated in past hits such as 'People Got a Lotta Nerve' and 'I'm an Animal'. Her lyrical candour is particularly riotous in 'Man', where she declares, "And if I'm dipshit drunk on the pink perfume / I am the man in the fucking moon / 'Cause you didn't know what a man was / Until I showed you." Indubitably, Case is a force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, electro highflier Gold Panda (aka Derwin Powers) first popped onto the radar in 2009, and has constantly thrown EPs and 7"s at us since. He's dropped two critically praised albums, 2010's Lucky Shiner and 2013's Half of Where You Live. This latest album holds truth in its name. Half of Where You Live is an electronic echo of the producer's experiences: having lived in Japan and travelled extensively, he's now based in Berlin. With tracks such as 'An English House', 'Enoshima' and 'My Father in Hong Kong 1961', our ears get an ambiguous, aural journey through Powers' experiences and geography. Neko Case February/March 2014 Tour Dates Perth: 27 February at Fly By Night Melbourne: 1 and 2 March at Corner Hotel and Melbourne Zoo Twilights Sydney: 3 March at Sydney Opera House Brisbane: 5 March at Hi Fi Adelaide: 7 March at Fowlers Live Mossvale: 8 March at Meeniyan Town Hall Meredith: 9 March at Golden Plains Festival Wellington: 12 and 13 March at NZ Festival Auckland: 14 March at Powerstation Tickets available from Handsome Tours Gold Panda March 2014 Tour Dates Sydney: 6 March at Oxford Art Factory Melbourne: 7 March at Corner Hotel Perth: 9 March at The Bakery Also appearing at Golden Plains Festival. Tickets available from Handsome Tours. https://youtube.com/watch?v=unNa-9qGkfI
It might sound like a cross between death metal and a trip to Scienceworks, but the utterly unique combination at the heart The Black of the Star makes this an unmissable event in this year’s Melbourne Festival. With the help of SIAL Sound Studio director Lawrence Harvey, six percussionists will be beaming in the cosmic signals of two rotating neuron stars ('pulsars'), drawing on access to the CSIRO’s Parkes telescope (made famous by Australian classic, The Dish). The energy from these signals will be translated into a sound recording that will become the metronomic pulse at the heart of an already stellar composition. The piece was created in 1990 by French avant-garde composer Gerard Grisey, and these festival performances by Speak Percussion will mark its Melbourne premiere. Speak Percussion is already made up of some of Australia’s most accomplished individual percussionists, but the ensemble will no doubt be rounded out by the sounds of these two real stars, each more than 7 million light years away.
With so much focus on pollution and how we can reduce it, bikes are a cheap, convenient and environmentally-friendly method of travelling that more and more commuters are choosing. Take a look at some of the emerging trends and ingenious modifications that have been made to the humble bicycle. Forget your fixie, these are the real deal. Silverback Stark Sub Zero Ever left the house only to realise that your iPod is out of battery? You won't have that problem with the Silverback Stark Sub Zero, which has a USB port for charging your iPod, GPS system or phone. This is powered through an electric generator built into the wheel, and the bike's lights are also charged this way. If you ever get lost on a deserted rural road with no means of communication, just keep on peddling until you have enough battery to call your best mate. Edward Kim and Benny Cemoli's INgSOC The INgSOC bicycle also has a charging dock and lights that can be powered by the rider. However, this bicycle also has the advantage of looking like a cross between a transformer and some weird alien offspring. The frame is made out of carbon fibre reinforced polymer, which is incredibly strong and lightweight. The rider can choose to pedal the bicycle for some healthy exercise, or have it run by a battery back when they're in a rush or feeling especially lazy. Conveniently, the battery pack is charged by the rider pedalling. Nippon Basic CycloClean Nippon Basic have managed to develop a bike with a social conscience. The Japanese company's invention purifies water using energy from its rider's pedaling motion. The CycloClean is designed for those living in areas which might not have drinkable water, or places which have been hit by natural disasters. In just 10 hours of riding time, it can purify up to three tonnes of water. Furthermore, it has tyres which cannot be punctured, making it ideal for use in places where surfaces may be rough and inhospitable. If Captain Planet rode a bicycle, you best believe that this would be it. Toto Toilet Bike Neo According to Toto, they are a company that has 'been evolving Japanese toilets', which is no mean feat in and of itself. Here they take it one step further, by building a bike with a toilet on top of it. Before you get really disgusted, rest assured that the bicycle does not run on human waste, but rather livestock waste. The whole point of the bicycle is to promote environmental sustainability, as plumbing products are responsible for much of the emissions that harm Mother Nature. While you may get a few strange looks riding the Toilet Bike Neo, this is the kind of unique and creative campaign that we don't see enough of in the toilet industry. [via PSFK]
No matter where you live, everyone knows that downtown is where the action happens. For the next few weeks you can score a Calvin Klein Downtown Prize Pack, including a delightful deluge of the new fragrance Downtown, simply by showing off your own creativity. In the competition, running from 22 September to 19 October (that means we're in the thick of it, so get cracking), five winners will be selected each week via Instagram. All you have to do? Post a photo of what you consider to be your 'Downtown' moment with the name of the city where it was taken (select the 'Add to Photo Map' setting and 'Name This Location' before sharing) and hashtag #CKdowntownau. You can enter as many times as you like. We think it's a pretty cool and refreshingly personal competition. Cue Petula Clark's insanely catchy hit — or better yet, scope out the hauntingly beautiful black-and-white campaign for the Downtown fragrance, starring Rooney Mara and directed by David Fincher. You can experience it here. I'm finding that my finger is awfully trigger-happy on the replay button. Prize Packs Include: 2x CK Downtown 90ml 2x CK Downtown 50ml 2x CK Downtown 30ml 1c CK Downtown Rollerball 10ml 2x CK Body Lotion 200ml 2x CK Shower Gel 200ml
It seems it's not enough for George Clooney to simply write, direct and act in compelling stories — they also need to be important. They need to have meaning. They need to prove the Hollywood machine isn't a Sophie's Choice between entertainment and education. As an audience member, Clooney wants you to know you can have both and you should have both, and with Goodnight and Good Luck, Syriana and The Ides of March, he made his point well. Then came The Monuments Men, and — on paper at least — it seemed he'd found his perfect project. Based on true events, the story is endowed with all the elements of an old-time war classic: a rag-tag bunch of recruits, a secret mission behind enemy lines and — most importantly — importance. Not only was this a film set in one of the 'good wars' (WWII) but it was centred around something far more 'meaningful' than a conflict over territories and ideologies. This was about art; about buildings, monuments, history and enlightenment. As Clooney's character explains, "If you destroy an entire generation of people's culture, it's as if they never existed." For that reason, the eponymous 'Monuments Men' were dispatched to Europe charged with protecting the continent's great works from both thievery and ruin on both sides of the War. It is, in all, a fascinating, beautiful and mostly untold tale of courage and dedication — the only problem being, the film doesn't do it justice. It's a tonal defect more than anything else. The first half strays so close to comedy it almost feels like Stripes meets Saving Private Ryan (and not just because the antiquities troupe boasts both Bill Murray and Matt Damon). The music, especially, is distractingly full of pomp and pageantry, a sort of Oh! What A Lovely War without the irony. As the team disembarks to one particularly sanguine number on the beaches of Normandy, you find yourself thinking: "…you guys do know what just happened here, right?" It is, to be fair, a somewhat defensible flaw, since the Monuments Men did enter the latter stages of the war thinking it more an adventure than a perilous and uncertain undertaking. Moreover, as the reality of their situation makes itself devastatingly apparent, so too does Alexandre Desplat's score shift moods, but from then on, the tonal problems are replaced by shortcomings in both pacing and subtlety. Rarely a quiet moment is permitted to pass without Clooney's Lt. Frank Stokes reminding his brothers in art why they're there, or repeatedly asking (then answering) whether a man ought rightly give his life for antiquity. Similarly, when there is action, it comes so quickly and so sporadically and in so many different locations that it robs the film of both suspense and cohesion. It's not a bad movie, and with a top-heavy ensemble cast that also includes Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, Bob Balaban and Jean Dujardin, the performances were never going to be a problem. It's just that — with a few excellent scenes notwithstanding — The Monuments Men feels altogether flat and expressionless, like a punctured tyre that gets you to your destination yet denies you the pleasant diversion along the way. https://youtube.com/watch?v=SziPDANik18
In the 90s classic that is Point Break, some Southern California surfers don't take too kindly to Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves, Sonic the Hedgehog 3) hitting the waves on their turf. In 70s Australian masterpiece Wake in Fright, a new arrival in the outback — the fictional Bundanyabba, with the film shooting Broken Hill — isn't greeted warmly, either. Combine the two and The Surfer might be the end result, at least based on the Nicolas Cage-starring Aussie movie's just-released full trailer. If Cage said "I want my surfboard" to you, you'd take notice. But in The Surfer, that request doesn't go as planned for his character. Instead, a group of local surfers just laugh and tell him that it isn't his board — as audiences also caught a glimpse of back in 2024 when the Australian-made psychological thriller initially dropped its first clip. [caption id="attachment_931569" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Radek Ladczuk[/caption] It was before that, in 2023, that word arrived that the inimitable actor was hopping from playing himself in 2022's The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and then Dracula in 2023's Renfield to becoming an Australian surfer in a film called, fittingly, The Surfer. Then came first-look image of the actor from late in 2023, that aforementioned initial clip and a debut at Cannes 2024. Next stop: playing US cinemas from early May 2025. After that, Cage's Aussie stint will make its way to picture palaces in Australia from Thursday, May 15, 2025. Stan, which is behind the movie, will then stream it locally, naming it on the platform's 2025 slate and locking in a Sunday, June 15, 2025 small-screen release. [caption id="attachment_956101" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Radek Ladczuk[/caption] Slotting into Cage's resume alongside everything from crooning Elvis songs in David Lynch's Wild at Heart to having everyone see him when they slumber in Dream Scenario and getting murderous in Longlegs, The Surfer sees him star as an Australian expat returning home from America, then getting in a beach battle with that local gang of wave riders. The actor's titular character makes the trip Down Under after years in the US, only to get humiliated by other surfers in front of his teenage son. Cue a turf war, plus Cage's protagonist refusing to leave the beach. Cue the stakes escalating and the movie's namesake having his sanity tested, too. The film shot in Yallingup in Western Australia, just in the single location, with director Lorcan Finnegan (Vivarium) helming and working with a script by screenwriter Thomas Martin. Featuring alongside Cage: an Aussie cast that spans Julian McMahon (FBI: Most Wanted), Nicholas Cassim (The Messenger), Miranda Tapsell (The Artful Dodger), Alexander Bertrand (Australian Gangster), Justin Rosniak (Mr Inbetween), Rahel Romahn (Here Out West), Finn Little (Yellowstone) and Charlotte Maggi (Summer Love). Check out the trailer for The Surfer below: The Surfer releases in Australian cinemas on Thursday, May 15, 2025, then streams via Stan from Sunday, June 15, 2025. UPDATED: Friday, February 28, 2025.
Do you know where the wild things are? Using the classic story by Maurice Sendak as a starting point, 11 writers are set to let their imaginations run wild at the Wheeler Centre Gala this Saturday night. They’ve all been given the same brief: to create short works inspired by monsters, rage, fear, and friendship — the scariest matters of all. The appeal of Where the Wild Things Are is enduring; come see what the title triggers in the imaginations of Hannie Rayson, Robyn Davidson, Alison Lester, David Marr, Luka Lesson, Monica Dux, Arnold Zable, Bruce Pascoe, Anthony Morgan, Josephine Rowe, and Clare Bowditch. Claws, fangs and wolf-suits optional.
Located in the heart of Melbourne's southeast, Murrumbeena Wine Bar is the kind of top-quality neighbourhood joint you wish was your local. And you've just scored a stack of new reasons to pay a visit, as the venue kicks off its fresh series of artisan-led Sunday sessions. Soulful Sundays are all about local makers and producers — not just celebrating them, but also inviting punters along for an in-depth exploration of what they're doing. On select Sundays, the doors will be closed to the public and the entire venue thrown over to a different local business for an immersive afternoon of artisan appreciation. The lineup is diverse, spanning winemakers, distillers, artists, cheesemakers and a whole lot more. And there'll be plenty of opportunity to unleash your own creative spark, too. Coming up on April 23, you've got Seaford distillery That Spirited Lot with a guided tasting and cocktail soireé, while a Mother's Day session on May 14 will see you creating a masterpiece at a paint-and-sip session led by a local artist. On May 28, Mrs. Baker's Stillhouse hosts a hands-on gin-blending class, and on June 4 and August 20, indoor plant boutique The Plant Whisperer will teach you the art of creating decorative terrariums. Also on the bill: cheese tastings, candle-making workshops, jewellery-making, speed-dating and more — check out the website to see what's coming up next.
A quarter-century ago, Christmas changed forever. Sure, the end of the year was filled with plenty of festive cheer before Mariah Carey released 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' — but since 1994, that upbeat ditty has become everyone's go-to seasonal soundtrack. Just last year, in fact, the track topped the US charts. It didn't even achieve that feat back when it was initially released, making it the song that has taken the longest journey ever to the top spot. Carey has re-recorded 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' several times, and it just keeps spreading its festive melody. Yes, we know you now have it stuck in your head just from thinking about it. The singer has several holiday albums to her name, too, which keep prolonging the song's longevity. And if that's all 100 percent okay with you, you'll be particularly excited about her next Christmas-themed project. Sometime before this chaotic year is out, Apple TV+ will release Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special — aka the star-studded festive show you didn't know you always wanted until now. Just when it'll head to your streaming queue hasn't been announced but, if that's all you want from the rest of 2020, expect it in the lead up to Christmas (obviously). In its efforts to help salvage the trainwreck that is the past 12 months, Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special will feature Carey, of course, alongside a star-studded lineup of other guests. Apple TV+ isn't revealing too much there either — other than the fact it'll be co-directed and executive produced by A Very Murray Christmas alumnus Roman Coppola — but apparently the special "will combine music, dancing and animation driven by a universally heartwarming story that brings the world together". It's Apple TV+'s latest big-name project — with Sofia Coppola's new Bill Murray-starring movie On the Rocks also headed to the service later this year, and its recent live documentary Beastie Boys Story earning a couple of Emmy nominations. And because we already know you're humming it to yourself, you can check out the music video for 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXQViqx6GMY Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special will hit Apple TV+ sometime later this year — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced.
Cut Copy burst onto the scene, and into our hearts, with their chart-topping album In Ghost Colours all the way back in 2007. Six years later, they're dropping their newest offering, Free Your Mind, on November 1. Ahead of the group's international tour, we met up with Dan Whitford, the man behind the mic, to chat about the band's newest tunes, his feelings about success and why dance music isn't going around in circles. Free Your Mind is thematically stronger than the previous two albums. You've said that you never intended to make a concept album, but it has kind of come out that way. Did the concept evolve as a natural progression from the writing? Initially, it was an effort to get started, and we were hoping to have a few gems that we could work up into contenders for a record, but there's only so long you can go without considering that they all have to fit together on a record at some point. There was probably a point where we went, "Okay, how do these songs relate, and what are we doing?" We started out with a very open-ended plan, like, "Don't overthink anything, if you have an idea, try it," and that was sort of what we tried to do through most of our recording. But I think we then got to a point where we had a few different directions with these tracks, we were asking, "What's the common thread?" So I think it just ended up feeling like there was this sort of slightly euphoric, kind of uplifting, but also kind of a loose psychedelic feeling to most of the tracks. The sound of the record, as well as the theme, is retrospective as well as prospective. Are you looking to the music of the past to build your future music? Yeah. I think that dance music, probably all music … has always done that. Each era, from disco onwards … even in the disco era, you'd be taking an old song, and doing the new version of that for this period in time, and then the same with the 1990 version of a disco song, and now there's the 2001 version of the 1990s song. I think dance music naturally looks forward because it's a fairly fickle thing. Stylistically, it's always looking to evolve, but it's also very retrospective. I think that's something that Daft Punk, for instance, have done more than any other … artists in the past, and that's being so diversely influenced by not just dance music history, but pop music history like Beach Boys and KISS, some of these things that are glam rock. These are things that don't normally fit into dance music, but they pulled in for the hell of it, and created something new. I think we're nostalgic about some of these periods of music with this record, and I think the combination of things that we pull in hopefully ends up being something that people haven't heard. You've never actually trained to play any musical instruments. How do you think that this lack of training affects the way you write music? It's good because you don't have any preconception about what you're doing. My training was listening to records. My record collection … taught me how to play music and make music, so you're assimilating all these influences and creating your own thing from there. I think it's good not to have too many rules about what art should be, because I think you're inevitably limited by that. I know music is a popular art form, so I know that if you're making, say, a Lady Gaga song, then there are probably a few rules … if you want to get played on the radio, but I think that in a general sense, having fewer rules makes more interesting music because the possibilities are more endless, more infinite. So I feel there's a benefit to never really knowing what I was doing. In Ghost Colour and Zonoscope were both hugely successful. Is that something you think about when writing now? I think it's a trick having all … these artificial pressures on what you're doing creatively, and I think the best stuff, for me, is created amongst the band when we're just doing the stuff that we like. I guess you've just got to trust your own creative instinct and aesthetic to hopefully be something that's good. Ghost Colours went number one, but we never thought in our wildest dreams that it was even going to be in the charts, let alone in the top ten or number one, that was just ridiculous. We did that without thinking about it, so sometimes the best thing is to really not even consider it. I guess there is some pressure there, but I guess that, at the end of the day, we just come back to making the music that we like, and if there are ever points where we get confused, usually we just come back to, "What do we like?" And that's the best guide, and probably what the right choice is. Cut Copy's new album, Free Your Mind, is out November 1 through Modular. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xPRJVKtrCCk
Across the last few months of 2021, and spilling into 2022, there'll be something strange happening in Australian cinemas. This'll be the case in places where big screens have still been showing new movies over the past few months, and also in Sydney and Melbourne when they're permitted to reopen following the two cities' respective (and long, and ongoing) lockdowns. The flicks that'll be playing? Many will be films we've been hearing about for a few years now because they were meant to release in 2020, and were then pushed back a few times due to the pandemic. But, there'll be something different going on Down Under, because a heap of these already-delayed movies have just been postponed again — only for Aussie viewers. Been waiting for No Time to Die, Dune, The French Dispatch, Halloween Kills and Ghostbusters: Afterlife? You'll now be waiting a bit longer. They're just some of the movies that've delayed their Aussie releases because cinemas in our two biggest cities have been closed due to lockdowns. Instead of hitting the silver screen in places around the country that are open, then perhaps being fast-tracked to digital — as In the Heights, The Suicide Squad and a range of other titles have lately — these movies have been pushed back nationwide to wait for projectors in Sydney and Melbourne to start whirring. So, if you like your spy movies shaken, not stirred, you'll now be holding out until November 11 to see the latest Bond flick. Fancy sand worms and seeing Timothée Chalamet follow in Kyle MacLachlan's footsteps? Mark December 2 in your diary for your date with Dune. Wes Anderson's suitably star-studded latest movie, The French Dispatch, will now arrive on December 11, while Michael Myers will get slashing again in Halloween Kills on October 28 (because this horror sequel was always going to stay in October, at least). And, wondering when there really will be something strange in your neighbourhood again? That'll come with Ghostbusters: Afterlife on January 1, 2022. Venom: Let There Be Carnage will also releasing later than expected, hitting on November 25 this year — and, like all of the above movies, it'll arrive locally after it releases in the US. So, you might see your social media feeds filled with chatter about flicks that you've been looking forward to, are out overseas, but haven't yet opened in Australia. Aussies will also be waiting longer to see a few films that haven't been pushed around for a year or so — movies that've only dropped their first trailers in past months — such as Malignant (October 21), The Many Saints of Newark (November 4), Last Night in Soho (November 18), The Last Duel (November 18), Dear Evan Hansen (December 9), House of Gucci (December 26), The Matrix Resurrections (January 1) and King Richard (January 18). There's also Zola, which'll now hit on November 18 after being delayed everywhere until 2021, releasing in the US midyear, then having its Australian debut pushed back. And, some long-delayed flicks have kept postponing their releases worldwide, too, such as the Spider-Man-related Morbius, featuring Jared Leto (January 20); The King's Man, the next instalment in the Kingsman franchise; and Top Gun: Maverick (May 26), because it doesn't feel the need for speed just yet. If you're living somewhere where picture palaces have been shut for months, you're probably just keen to see whatever you can whenever you're allowed — understandably. In Sydney, that's due to happen when New South Wales reaches the 70-percent fully vaxxed mark, which is expected in mid-October. In Melbourne, no timeframe has been given for reopening cinemas just yet, or easing out of lockdown in general; however the travel radius will expand to ten kilometres and outdoor exercise will be allowed for three hours once 70 percent of Victorians have had their first jabs. Of course, moving release dates around was a regular part of movie-going life before the pandemic, too. More often than not, big blockbuster titles had been hitting Aussie cinemas at the same time as overseas, though. New films are still releasing in cinemas Down Under each week at the moment, where they're open, and will continue to do so; however, you'll just be waiting longer for some movies, including a number of big-name flicks, in some instances. To check out the new releases screening in Australian cinemas each week, check out our weekly rundown, complete with reviews. Image: Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved
In March 2024, things are really heating up at The Beast on Lygon Street, the official home of the Melbourne Chilli-Eating Championship. On Saturday, March 2, a bunch of brave souls will put their lives on the line in this searing-hot contest to find Melbourne's steeliest tastebuds. Firing up for its ninth edition, the competition will unfold throughout the afternoon, with things getting progressively spicier as the competition intensifies. Challengers will be consuming chillies that rank above two-million units on the Scoville scale, including the Trinidad scorpion, ghost chillis, the naga viper and the ever-so-feisty Carolina reaper. Participants can be eliminated by tapping out, passing out or unleashing a cheeky vomit — although, hopefully it doesn't come to that. If you want to partake, you'll need to visit The Beast and sample one of the chillies that'll be eaten on the day, or you can send in a video of yourself eating a chilli that has the equivalent or higher heat score of a habañero. You'll also have to sign a waiver, of course. Alternatively, you can simply watch on as these folks take their tastebuds to the edge. And be sure to stick around for the special celebrity round. Who will be participating hasn't been announced, but expect some Hot Ones energy. Backing up the championship is a whole afternoon of spicy fun. There'll be a special fiery food and drinks menu on offer, plus a sausage sizzle outside that'll be frying up spicy snags made just for the day. Into the night, the team will also host live band karaoke and DJs, and give out prizes for the best dressed — the theme is 'spicy Australiana' for all those wanting to really lean into the Melbourne Chilli-Eating Championship festivities. Images: Duncographic.
The chance to watch a comedian do stand-up in front of a dimly lit brick wall in Brooklyn is a dream out of reach for most of us. But which American is about to make that all change? It's Rick James, bitch. No wait, It's Dave Chappelle. Most known for his television series Chapelle's Show, the comedian, screenwriter, actor and television and film producer will be hitting Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth for his very first tour outside of North America. Now 40 years old, Chappelle's been performing since he was 14 and was tossed under the spotlight for his parodies of American culture, racial stereotyping and politics. Chappelle's most recent tour sold out venues all over the U.S. and Canada. So don't leave tickets to the last minute; shows like these don't often come knocking on Australian doors. Tickets for all shows go on sale 9am this Tuesday, January 28, with presale options released on Friday 24 via Live Nation. Dave Chappelle Tour Dates Thursday, 20 February QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane Saturday, 22 February Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide Tuesday, 25 February Riverside Theatre, Perth Friday, 28 February Palais Theatre, Melbourne Tuesday, 4 March Sydney Opera House, Sydney Wednesday, 5 March State Theatre, Sydney
For anyone who saw The Craft and never quite got over it, read Goosebumps against their parent's better advice (and couldn't sleep for a week afterwards), or obsessed over collage and other '90s pastimes, this exhibition's for you. Taking two hands to the idea of worship, Beast Cult is a collection of knitted, woven and printed garments. Inspired by everything from beast worship to séances to 90s nostalgia, artists Eileen Braybrook and John Brooks have created a collection of soft sculptural objects and pieces that have been finger painted, potato stamped and collaged to resemble that of the occult. With a background in textile design, pattern making and drawing between them, Braybrook and Brooks have created an oddly unnerving exhibition. It will be on display at Tinning Street gallery until Sunday, March 20.
If this year has taught us anything, it's that reality doesn't always run smoothly and to plan. But, also, that you won't find a much better antidote to life's mess and uncertainties than to focus on the beauty of those small, everyday rituals. A hot cuppa served in your favourite floral mug, an after-work cheese board shared with your bestie, or maybe that homemade dinnertime feast being pulled from the oven, delightful aromas and all. Whatever minutiae you're into celebrating, Finnish design house Marimekko has just unveiled a new collection of vibrant homewares that'll make those daily rituals feel as beautiful as ever. As with all the brand's creations, these kitchen and dining products offer a joyful nod to the art of printmaking, splashed in a range of striking original prints and awash with plenty of bold hues. And there's something here for every home, taste and colour palette. You can always bank on Marimekko delivering a diverse array of designs, as each of its artists gets free rein to express themselves through their prints, tasked simply with creating products that have soul. True to form, the new pieces are functional enough to fit your everyday life, but also have a stylish flair that's sure to add a little something special, too. You'll find the latest abstract florals, watercolour-style prints and charming woodland scenes adorning everything from kitchen towels and aprons, to oven mitts and tote bags. Pick up some matching ceramics, with a range of printed mugs, serving platters, plates and other tableware, that'll either inject some joy into your morning coffee routine, or liven up that next dinner party. Check out Marimekko's latest collection of homewares online now. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
The beloved Cameo Cinema will once again showcase some of the summer's most talked-about films on its magnificent outdoor movie screen under the stars. Kicking off for the 2021–22 season the moment it can — that'd be on Friday, October 22, when Melbourne comes out of lockdown — and screening through the rest of spring and summer, this outdoor film-watching spot will give cinema lovers the chance to relax in deckchairs and beanbags, with craft beer, homemade choc-tops and freshly popped popcorn in hand. If that's not worth the drive out to Belgrave, then we just don't know what is. Featured on the big screen will be a selection of new flicks, starting with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Free Guy, Nitram and The Last Duel — and throwing in a Halloween session of Candyman, too. From there, you can look forward to Marvel's Eternals, new Bond instalment No Time to Die and Disney's latest animated effort Ron's Gone Wrong. More flicks, both recent and classic, are set to be added to the lineup as well as spring and summer go on. It doesn't hurt that the Cameo concessions are a cut above what you'll find at your local shopping centre multiplex. It has craft beer and boutique wines — and dogs are welcome here, too. In line with current COVID-19 restrictions, masks are mandatory and capacities are limited.
May has the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, June boasts the Delta Aquariids and December welcomes the Geminids. In November, however, it's Leonids time. Arriving at the end of spring in Australia and New Zealand, the Leonids may not be quite as well known as some of its counterparts, but it's still a shower worth looking up for. And it's famous for one impressive reason: its spectacular meteor storms. It can feature more than 1000 meteors per hour, but it only occurs around every 33 years — and, sadly, the most recent occurred in 2001. Still, while you won't spy that kind of intense onslaught in 2020, you will still see meteors. The Bureau of Meteorology predicts there'll be around five per hour hurtling across the heavens on average. At its peak, timeanddate.com predicts 15 per hour. In good news for those Down Under, the Leonids can be seen in the Southern Hemisphere. Although it runs from Friday, November 6 until Monday, November 30, it's best detected between Saturday, November 14 and Friday, November 20 — and it's expected to be at its peak between Tuesday, November 17 and Wednesday, November 18. Like many astronomical shows, catching an eyeful after midnight is recommended (aka when the moon has set and its light will not interfere). Named for the constellation of Leo, which is where it appears to radiate from in the sky, the Leonids aren't just renowned for its huge showers approximately three times each century, but also for its place in history. During the storm of 1833, it has been estimated that more than 100,000 meteors streamed across the sky per hour — and, as a result, the Leonids helped play a part in the formulation of the first theory about the origin of meteors, NASA notes. The Leonids stem from the Comet Tempel–Tuttle, which was actually first officially recognised after the famous meteor shower of 1833 — in 1866, in fact. And, if you're wondering why the Leonids' storms only hit every 33 years or so, that's because that's how long it takes for the comet to orbit around the sun. [caption id="attachment_751114" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The peak of the 2009 Leonids meteor shower. Image: Navicore via Wikicommons.[/caption] For your best chances of getting a glimpse, the usual advice applies. Get as far away from bright lights as possible — this could be a good excuse to head out of the city to a clear-skied camping spot — and pray for no clouds. And, given that the Leonids originate from the Leo constellation, that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. To locate Leo, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). The Leonids meteor shower is best detected between Saturday, November 14 and Friday, November 20. Top image: Mike Lewinski via Flickr.
"I will find you. No matter what it takes." So promises Squid Game protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, Deliver Us From Evil) in the clip that fans of the Netflix sensation have been waiting for for years: the first proper glimpse at what's in store when the series finally returns for its second season. One of the best new TV programs of 2021, Squid Game was such a huge smash that Netflix confirmed at the beginning of 2022 that more was on the way, and also dropped a teaser trailer for it the same year — but, it didn't include any footage of what's to come. The platform then announced new cast members in 2023, which came with a video; however, again, it wasn't a real sneak peek. To help start 2024, the service has finally unveiled a scene from the show's upcoming return, which it has already confirmed will stream sometime this year. The snippet of Squid Game season two is brief, arriving in a broader trailer for Netflix's slate for the year — as it releases every 12 months. In the footage, Seong Gi-hun, aka player 456, answers a phone call while at the airport with his newly crimson locks. He's soon told "you're going to regret the choice you've made". Cue his statement of vengeance; Squid Game meets John Wick, anyone? There's no other new information on season two right now — including no exact release date — but Netflix has also dropped a few images from the forthcoming episodes, complete with neon hues, those pivotal red outfits and familiar symbols. As already revealed, Lee Byung-hun (The Magnificent Seven) is also back as the masked Front Man. With Lee Jung-jae, he's joined by Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) as detective Hwang Jun-ho, plus Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place. A show about a deadly competition that has folks battling for ridiculous riches comes with a hefty bodycount, which means that new faces were always going to be essential in Squid Game season two. Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) have all joined the series. New photos from Squid Game Season 2 -- coming this year. Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), Recruiter (Gong Yoo) and Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), and a new character played by Park Gyu-young. pic.twitter.com/8xRC1EvQPr — Netflix (@netflix) February 1, 2024 If you somehow missed all things Squid Game when it premiered, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. Accordingly, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Here, 456 competitors are selected to work their way through six seemingly easy children's games. They're all given numbers and green tracksuits, they're competing for 45.6 billion won, and it turns out that they've also all made their way to the contest after being singled out for having enormous debts. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. Check out Netflix's teaser for Squid Game season below: Introducing the very first look at SQUID GAME SEASON 2. Coming this year. pic.twitter.com/fzRzdtHRDY — Netflix (@netflix) February 1, 2024 Squid Game season two will stream via Netflix sometime in 2024. We'll update you when an exact release date is announced. Images: Netflix.
Interactive detective game CluedUpp has taken over Australia's streets before — and if you like the idea of true crime and Cluedo colliding while you run around town, then it's the pastime for you. Its next Melbourne event on Saturday, December 11 will bring the classic board game to life throughout the city once again, with a slight twist. The outdoor adventure will have you tracking a Jack the Ripper copycat — and while the serial killer was very real, everything else about this murder-mystery game will be fictional. Forget Colonel Mustard with the candlestick in the study — this event will bring you and your friends closer to reality and out onto the streets to solve the case. The game will kick off at a secret location, and you can choose to start whenever you like between 9am–2pm. Then, how long it takes depends on how good of a detective you are. The best news of all, however, is that the event is dog friendly — and there are prizes to be won by both human and canine detectives. All you need to play is some friends and your phone. Dressing up as a detective is encouraged, so you can really get yourself into character. A ticket will set you back $65 per team of six, but you only need two humans to play. With only 100 teams available, get in quick for your chance to solve the mystery.
The program for this year’s Melbourne Festival is looking a little gender bendy, with international guests including “sissy bounce” MC Big Freedia and legendary transgender singer Antony Hegarty. Local avant gardesters The Rabble are getting in on the androgyny act with their take on literature’s definitive gender warp, Orlando. The story of a young rake who suddenly, without explanation or much fuss, becomes a woman has been doing people’s heads in since Virginia Woolf penned it in 1928. The Rabbles’ staging looks like it will be less a direct adaptation and more a spring-boarding from Woolf’s text into a surreal and confronting world all of its own. Emma Valente and Kate Davis, artistic directors of The Rabble, are building a reputation for twisting classic texts into bizarre new shapes, and one can expect this to be as divisive and in-your-face as theatre gets. Just as Orlando him/herself would like it.
For many designers, their work is developed through experimentation with new materials, while for others their entire body of work is dedicated to exploring the potential of only one. Jan Gunneweg falls into that latter category, and his material of choice is wood. Gunneweg's workshop in the Netherlands is filled with beautifully crafted traditional wooden objects, such as benches, desks and tables. However, it is also filled with some fairly non-traditional ones, including sunglasses, which he creates by hand. His wooden bicycles, though, have garnered Gunneweg the most attention of late. Gunneweg's bikes are both technically and aesthetically beautiful, as well as practical, and are made out of solid walnut or birchwood. And while Genneweg's has plans to produce bikes which are far easier (and cheaper) to make, assemble and ship overseas, at present he is only making to order. Understandably too, as each takes between 160 and 200 man hours to create. Quite an impressive labour of love, and a rather nice way to get around town this summer - especially if you can afford the matching sunglasses.
During this summer's catastrophic bushfire season, flames encroached on Bundanon and Riversdale, the 1100-hectare properties that were gifted to the Australian public by by artist Arthur Boyd and his wife Yvonne Boyd back in 1993. Located in the Shoalhaven region on the New South Wales south coast, the heritage-listed sites were thankfully saved, as was the art collection within them — and now work is underway on their huge new bushland gallery. While the new addition to Riversdale was first announced back in 2018, this week marked the start of construction, with the gallery due for completion by the end of 2021 in time for an early 2022 opening. Well aware of its location and the climate conditions it faces, it'll welcome a purpose-built, 380-square-metre 'environmentally prepared gallery-of-the-future' — which'll be designed to ramp up the site's fire defenses, complete with a safe storage facility. With work underway — and new renders revealed, providing another glimpse of what the scenic spot will look like in two years — the Federal Government announced that it's also providing additional funding to help improve the properties' resilience. Specifically, it has earmarked $300,000 for the installation of an ember suppression system to protect the location's significant heritage-listed buildings. They include the Arthur Boyd Homestead, studio, artists-in-residence and musician cottages, and the art collection store. Costing $33 million in total, with $22 million supplied by the Australian Government and $8.6 million coming the NSW Government, the new site will house a huge art collection valued at $43 million. That hefty range spans around 4000 items, including more than 1300 works by Arthur Boyd himself. Pieces by Pablo Picasso, Francisco Goya and Brett Whiteley are also part of the collection — items that, at present, are on display in the existing Bundanon Homestead and in Arthur Boyd's studio, When the Boyds gave the rural site to the Australian public back more than a quarter-century ago, Bundanon and Riversdale became a haven for creativity, arts and education, as well as remaining a working farm. That's all remaining the same — just with the new addition built into the hillside. That said, although the new gallery is the main attraction — boasting windows that frame the artwork with glimpses of the natural splendour outside, it promises to provide quite the sight — that's not all that's being added to the property. Also under construction is a 140-metre-long by nine-metre-wide structure that'll branch out of the gallery, into a bridge spanning across the bushland and parkland, and across to 34 bedrooms, a teaching and dining space, and a public cafe. Stepped terraces, an openair arrival hall and an outdoor learning space are also planned. The Bundanon Trust's new gallery is due to open in early 2022 in Illaroo, New South Wales. For further information, visit the Bundanon Trust website. Images: Kerstin Thompson Architects.
Sweet Christmas alert: when festive season gets into full swing for 2023, Wonka will bring its treats to the big screen. Here, Roald Dahl's chocolatier gets an origin story from writer/director Paul King and his co-scribe Simon Farnaby, who were also behind the wonderful Paddington films — with Timothée Chalamet making the goods and Hugh Grant getting bantering as an Ooompa-Loompa. He's had his heart broken during a lusty Italian summer, romanced Saoirse Ronan in a Greta Gerwig film not once but twice, spiced up his life in a sci-fi saga and sported a taste for human flesh. Now Chalamet is singing and dancing into a world of sugar. For everyone keen to see a new take on a childhood favourite starring one of the internet's boyfriends, Wonka will hit cinemas Down Under on Thursday, December 14 — and both the initial trailer and the just-dropped latest sneak peek are big on whimsy and pure imagination. First gracing the page almost six decades back, in 1964 when Charlie and the Chocolate Factory initially hit print, Willy Wonka has made the leap to cinemas with Gene Wilder playing the part in 1971, then Johnny Depp in 2005. The difference this time: not just Chalamet making sweet treats, but a film that swirls in the details of Wonka's life before the events that've already been laid out in books and filled two movies. The picture's main man has a dream — and, after spending the past seven years travelling the world perfect his craft, he's willing to get inventive to make it come true. Starting a chocolate business isn't easy, especially when the chocolate cartel doesn't take kindly to newcomers, selling choccies at an affordable price and sharing their wares with the masses. From there, brainwaves, optimism, determination, wild and wonderful Wonka inventions, and life-changing choices all spring, plus big vats of chocolate, chocolate that makes you fly — and Willy's dedication to making "the greatest chocolate shop the world has ever seen". Also accounted for: a mood of wonder, and not just due to the umbrella-twirling dream sequences and cane-whirling dance scenes in the first trailer, or the leaps through fairy floss and chats with Grant's (Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves) Lofty. Indeed, the magical tone doesn't just fit the tale; it's exactly what King and Farnaby spun when they were celebrating a marmalade-loving bear. King helmed and penned both Paddington movies, while Farnaby also did the latter on the second (and acted in each). The duo worked together on wonderful and underseen 2009 film Bunny and the Bull as well, and on The Mighty Boosh, of which King directed 20 episodes. On-screen, Wonka's cast is as jam-packed as a lolly bag, with Chalamet and Grant joined by Farnaby (The Phantom of the Open), as well as Olivia Colman (Heartstopper), Sally Hawkins (The Lost King), Keegan-Michael Key (The Super Mario Bros Movie), Rowan Atkinson (Man vs Bee), Jim Carter (Downton Abbey: A New Era) and Natasha Rothwell (Sonic the Hedgehog 2). Yes, you'll want a golden ticket to this. Check out the latest trailer for Wonka below: Wonka releases in cinemas Down Under on December 14, 2023.
It's not often that feminism in mainstream media and art makes us laugh. But with a large proportion of feminist opinion vocalised in response to the very serious issues of misogyny, oppressive inequality and violent crimes against women, perhaps it’s solemnity is understandable. Despite allusions to the contrary, feminism's foundations lie within irony and humour and feminist artists have long employed laughter as a tool within their work. BACKFLIP: Feminism and Humour in Contemporary Art aims to subvert ingrained stereotypes of feminism as dry, dull and run by angry women. Embracing feminism's rich (and perhaps largely unknown) legacy of wit, satire and playfulness, the exhibition is a collection of reworked and contemporary feminist art. It’s ironic, it’s absurd, and, yes, it’s funny. Curated by Laura Castagnini, along with Margaret Lawrence Gallery’s director Vikki McInnes, the exhibition aims to give feminist art largely by female artists the platform it deserves. As you enter the gallery space picket signs by New York’s Guerrilla Girls (Museums Cave into Radical Feminists, Museums Unfair to Men) highlight an amusing, but inextricable gender inequality within the art world. This harks back to Louise Lawler’s 1972/81 text and audio work, Birdcalls, also featured within the exhibition. Through parody these works combat the institutional bias that continues to inhibit the success of female artists. A convergence of artistic mediums within BACKFLIP means that something is always grasping for your attention, demanding to be looked at and considered. Single channel video provides a captivating platform for female performative work, as with Patty Chang’s 1998 Melons (At A Loss) and the more contemporary video work from Melbourne artist Hannah Raisin. The exhibition is constantly backflipping to older generations, cultures and nations. Humour that was employed by pioneering feminist artists has been reworked and reappropriated to explore the presence and experience of feminism in contemporary Australian culture. The collection sees Alice Lang’s text-based works represent feminist conversation through Gen-Y slang and Melanie Bonajo re-enact VALIE EXPORT’s iconic 1968 Genital Panic for contemporary audiences. BACKFLIP also features digital video from renowned artists such as Tracey Moffat, Mika Rottenberg and Pipilotti Rist. The representation of female relationships is played up by cultural stereotypes — be enchanted (or repulsed) by the idealisation of female friendship with a live installation of nat&ali’s Friendship Is and witness a ridiculous rivalry in the form of two robotic vacuum cleaners. Perhaps one of the most absurd works in the exhibition is the Hotham Street Ladies’ use of icing to create a large bleeding uterus in the gallery’s male toilets — crude, funny and undeniably sweet at the same time. Humour is a patriarchal game, but one that BACKFLIP uses to subvert the stereotypes of feminism to allow female voices to be heard — and laughed at. Image via Brown Council
Whenever Easter arrives, be it in March or April depending on the year, sweet treat-loving tastebuds across Melbourne and Brisbane are thankful. In 2023, the annual excuse to devour chocolate is delivering plenty of tasty options, including from Lune Croissanterie — but Kate Reid's cult-famous pastry chain has plenty more in store across the whole month. The beloved bakery celebrates all 12 parts of the year with a different lineup of treats, even when Easter is here. On Lune's April menu: the return of its twice-baked finger bun croissants, plus choc-orange pains au chocolat. If you like popular desserts that have been turned into other sweet treats — or mashups, food hybrids and the Frankenstein's monsters of baked goods, all those labels fit — prepare to be in culinary heaven. If you adore the sublime flavour combination that is chocolate and orange, get just as excited. Both specials are exactly what they sound like, which is delicious, and you can only get them until Sunday, April 30. If the finger bun croissants have your tastebuds in a tizzy, they're an old Lune highlight that's making yet another comeback in-store at all locations — aka Fitzroy, Armadale and the CBD in Melbourne, plus South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in Brisbane — and also online. Made with traditional croissants that are brushed with strawberry syrup, they're then filled with a coconut milk frangipane and house-made strawberry jam. On top: a whipped coconut icing, because a finger bun isn't a finger bun without the icing. And yes, they're also dipped in desiccated coconut. Feel like celebrating the second month of autumn with those choc-orange pains au chocolat? These ones are on offer in-store only from Fitzroy, Armadale and South Brisbane. Lune has taken its usual pain au chocolat, then filled it with orange cake frangipane and dark chocolate custard. Next, it has topped it with candied orange slices and shards of tempered chocolate. The word you're looking for, as always, is "yum". The April specials list also boasts a cardamom bun at all stores, with Lune giving the Scandinavian fave its own spin — so they're made with laminated pastry, filled with cardamom butter, twisted into a knot, then dusted with raw sugar before being popped in the oven. And, just Fitzroy, Armadale and South Brisbane are doing harissa and goats' cheese escargots, plus kaya cruffins rolled in desiccated coconut and sugar, filled with kaya custard and topped with toasted coconut chips. Also, all three have added rhubarb and vanilla danishes to their menu as well, and you can nab them online from South Brisbane, too. If you're on snacks duty for April — in the office or at home — your job just got easier and tastier. Lune's April specials menu runs until Sunday, April 30, with different specials on offer at Fitzroy, Armadale and the CBD in Melbourne, and South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in Brisbane. From the South Brisbane store only, you can also order them online. Images: Pete Dillon.
If there's one thing that Melbourne knows how to do well, it's serving up good food-based experiences — especially in a pop-up setting. So to keep us all warm through the colder months, the city is welcoming a range of winter-inspired culinary pop-ups and events taking place across the city, all to keep bellies full and warm. From a night noodle market delivering tasty eats to your door to wintery igloos featuring warm eats and mulled wine in beer gardens, there's a lot to keep the foodie in you satisfied this cold one. Here's seven events that'll keep your tummy and your tastebuds satisfied this winter.
Girl Asleep, by director Rosemary Myers, has been touted as an Australian version of Napoleon Dynamite. It's an obvious comparison, but while there are many similarities, Girl Asleep will leave you feeling something much deeper than mild amusement and confusion (sorry Napoleon, but it's true). For a start, it's a coming of age film starring actual teenagers, and that awkwardness translates beautifully to the screen. Greta (Bethany Whitmore) is 14, very shy and starting life at a new school. On her first day there she meets the geeky Elliot (Harrison Feldman) and they develop an unlikely friendship. Her life and all its inherent confusion stays private until her parents (played so very well by Amber McMahon and screenwriter Matthew Whittet) throw her a massive 15th birthday party and all her internal chaos spills over. The narrative is well-paced and comfortingly predictable, until the third act when Greta is plunged into a surreal, sexy world of Abject Men, Frozen Women, vaguely sinister forest creatures and lessons about sisterhood. It's a brusque transition but not unexpected, since the whole film has a touch of the surreal about it. There's an air of awkwardness that at times that goes beyond the script, although thankfully the two young leads are supported by a fluid and confident supporting cast, who lend the whole production a professional veneer that keeps your faith intact. Myers originally developed and executed the story as a stage play, and you can see fragments of the stage in the two-dimensional composition and the all-singing, all-dancing dramatics that give the film its signature look. And what a look! Girl Asleep is worth the ticket price alone just for the attention to detail in the props, costumes and sets. It's all so glamorous, so coordinated, so excessive and so 70s – a visual smorgasbord of big hair, tight shorts, flares and loud patterned wallpaper. And yet, behind the glamour and theatrics, viewers will find a remarkably relatable protagonist. Greta deals with her questions of identity, gender, sexuality and feminism in a way that will catch you by surprise, right in the feels. The writing hits a subtle emotional frequency that offsets and works well with the zany visual antics, helping to set Girl Asleep apart from the pack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lJSjVbTvDs
Quentin Tarantino's latest star-studded masterpiece, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, is one of the most anticipated films of 2019 — and it hits Australian cinemas imminently. To celebrate, we're giving eight lucky Playgrounders (and their mates) free Palace Platinum tickets to see it on the big screen — and treat them to dinner and drinks beforehand, too. It's called Culture Club. We've teamed up with Palace Cinemas to curate a (free!) evening of food, drinks, film and conversation — and the inaugural club meeting will take place this month, on Wednesday, August 21. Kicking off at 6pm, you'll be treated to dinner at Chapel Street's moody cocktail bar and restaurant Lover. Expect a cocktail on arrival followed by a four-course feast and endless pours of wine. Geeky film chat with your fellow VIPs is encouraged. Once you've finished wining and dining, you'll be picked up and whisked away to South Yarra's Palace Cinema Como to watch the movie at 8pm. Plus, movie snacks (a drink and a platinum choctop platter) will be provided — if you're not too full from dinner, that is. These aren't just any ordinary tickets though, you'll be living it up with Palace Platinum in a fully reclining leather seat (footrest included) and with service just a call-button away. Then just kick back, relax and enjoy the film. That's two hours and 45 minutes of Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie. If you're keen to nab free tickets to Culture Club, enter your details below to be in the running. [competition]736079[/competition]
Huge music festivals are back, and Australia has the ever-growing gig calendar to prove it — and it just got even bigger. Get ready to hop into the mosh pit like its the 90s and early 00s at massive alternative, metal and punk music fest Good Things, which is living up to its name with its just-dropped 2022 lineup. Headlining the tour are Bring Me The Horizon and Deftones, plus NOFX — who'll be playing 1994's iconic album Punk In Drublic in full. They'll also be joined by The Amity Affliction, Gojira and Millencolin, spanning everything from Queensland favourites to infectious Swedish punk. Oh, and just none other than Australia's own TISM playing their first live shows in 19 years. Will TISM take to the stage naked? That's now the question of the summer. 'Tis the season — and the times in general — for Ron Hitler-Barassi and company to drop their clothes but keep their masks, after all. Whatever they're decked out in, or not, expect plenty of legendary Aussie songs. Expect to have 'Greg! The Stop Sign!', 'Whatareya' and 'Ol' Man River' stuck in your head right now as well, obviously. Good Things' impressive bill also features Kisschasy playing 2005's United Paper People in full, fellow Aussie faves Regurgitator — because, just like the 90s and 00s, it wouldn't be a festival without them — and Lacuna Coil, Soulfly, ONE OK ROCK, 3OH!3, Cosmic Psychos and more. The fest is headed to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane across three massive early December days, from Friday, December 2–Sunday, December 4. And whether you're a yob or a wanker, you'll want to be there. GOOD THINGS 2022 LINEUP: Bring Me The Horizon Deftones NOFX (performing Punk In Drublic in full) TISM The Amity Affliction Gojira ONE OK ROCK 3OH!3 Blood Command Chasing Ghosts Cosmic Psychos Electric Callboy Fever 333 Jinjer JXDN Kisschasy (performing United Paper People in full) Lacuna Coil Millencolin Nova Twins Polaris RedHook Regurgitator Sabaton Sleeping With Sirens Soulfly The Story So Far Thornhill GOOD THINGS 2022 DATES: Friday, December 2 — Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne Saturday, December 3 — Centennial Park, Sydney Sunday, December 4 – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane Good Things will hit the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in December 2022. Pre-sale tickets go on sale from 10am, Tuesday, June 21, and general sales from 10am on Thursday, June 23. Head to the festival website for more info and to register for pre-sales.
It seems a pretty hard task to follow Hannah Gadsby's international smash-hit show, Nanette. After all, the one-woman stand-up performance copped serious praise on its 18-month travels across Australia and the UK, even scooping the top honours at both the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It also spawned its very own Netflix special. And when Gadsby used the show to announce she was quitting comedy for good, we thought that was it. But indeed, the beloved Aussie comedian is set to give the follow-up a red hot crack when she returns to the stand-up stage with her latest work, Douglas, named after her own pet pooch. While Nanette pulled apart the concept of comedy itself, dishing up an insight into Gadsby's past, Douglas promises to deliver a serve of "very new ideas", collected during her recent travels around the planet. This show will mark Gadsby's first-ever US tour, though us locals are getting first dibs, as Douglas makes its world debut with an Arts Centre stint for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Hannah Gadsby: Douglas tickets will go on sale at 10am AEDT on Wednesday, February 13. You can sign-up for pre-sale access here. First image: Jim Lee.
It's with the swirling, piercing tones of a string-filled overture that The Childhood of a Leader begins. Ominous, unsettling and reminiscent of many a horror movie, the distinctive music provides quite the introduction — but then, that's what this film is all about. Actor turned first-time director Brady Corbet (Clouds of Sils Maria, While We're Young) announces his arrival as a filmmaker with a thoroughly ambitious effort about the youth of someone destined to become a fascist force to be reckoned with. After kicking things off in such spectacularly sinister fashion, Scott Walker's stunning score ushers viewers through a series of chapters, or 'tantrums', that comprise the film's narrative. At its centre is a ten-year-old American boy (Tom Sweet) growing up in France in 1919. His father (Liam Cunningham) works for US president Woodrow Wilson in the aftermath of WWI, helping to establish what will become the Treaty of Versailles. His mother (Bérénice Bejo) is distant and stern, so he warms to his French tutor (Stacy Martin) — a little too much, in fact. The time, the place, and the treaty will no doubt make viewers think of a particular historical figure who went on to devastate Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. Watching to see how your suspicions play out is part of the thrill of The Childhood of a Leader, although don't expect Corbet to play with the past exactly as we know it. Real-life parallels remain obvious, but it's the themes and ideas, rather than the specific details, that carry the most significance. Given everything that's happened in global politics since the film was shot in 2015, they're also what proves the most frightening. How does evil take root, be it in one person or an entire society? Does nature triumph over nurture? Does apathy and malaise breed something much more insidious than mere contempt and discontent? Corbet brings all of these questions to the fore – and while he's not particularly subtle about it, his approach works. An early line of dialogue, taken from a famous phrase coined about WWII, couldn't be more telling. "That was the tragedy. Not that one man has the courage to be evil, but that so many have not the courage to be good." That observation is uttered by none other than Robert Pattinson, who plays a friend of the boy's father. His role is a small but pivotal one, and will keep viewers on their toes — scrutinising each lavish frame as they wait to see if and when he reappears. The Childhood of a Leader demands that kind of close attention, and rewards it as well. You have to keep your wits about you when a seemingly ordinary situation slowly but surely turns into a nightmare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEa9vg_OrSA
Ever since Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness hit Netflix in mid-March, the docuseries has become a true-crime phenomenon. Given the story it tells, that's understandable. Focusing on former Oklahoma private zookeeper Joe Exotic, the show spins a 100-percent true tale filled with eccentric characters, wild animals, assassination plots, polygamy and bad mullets. By now, you've probably not only binged your way through the series, but also watched the Joel McHale-hosted special and spent too much time checking out Exotic's music videos. If you're like everyone else with a social media account, you've likely also devoted a few hours to picking who should play Exotic, his pals and his enemies in a dramatised version of the story — because, unsurprisingly, that's in the works. Actually, more than one take on the tale is heading to the small screen, and one of them has pulled off one helluva casting feat, enlisting none other than Nicolas Cage to play the blonde-haired tiger aficionado, one-time US presidential candidate and current incarcerated felon. As reported by Variety, Cage will step into Exotic's tight pants and flamboyant shirts, all in a scripted drama series that'll chart the latter's efforts "to keep his park even at the risk of losing his sanity". Think of it as the Joe Exotic origin story, chronicling how he took on that moniker, became a larger-than-life version of himself and found himself on his present path. While Exotic has received plenty of media attention in his time, particularly recently, this series will be based on Leif Reigstad's 2019 Texas Monthly article 'Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild'. American Vandal showrunner Dan Lagana will hold the same role on this yet-to-be-named Joe Exotic drama, as well as writing and executive producing — but the big news is obviously Cage's involvement. After making more than 100 on-screen projects across four decades, this is the first time he'll be starring in a TV show on a regular basis. Plus, the Vampire's Kiss, Face/Off, Con Air, Mandy and Color Out of Space actor isn't known for his subtlety, which makes him a perfect fit to play Exotic. Cage also has some recent experience with jungle animals, at least of the terrible CGI kind, thanks to 2019 action-drama Primal. It casts him as a big-game hunter chasing a rare white jaguar, which then gets loose on a ship alongside a notorious murderer — and yes, it's the type of over-the-top Cage film that has to be seen to be believed. Just who'll be co-starring with Cage — who'll no doubt be at his overacting best — is yet to be announced. While Kate McKinnon is set to play Carole Baskin, the rival animal park owner that Exotic is in prison for trying to have killed, that's happening in a different series about the whole saga. And, according to Rob Lowe's Instagram, there's another project in the works that'll feature him in a mullet, as produced by Glee, American Horror Story and Pose's Ryan Murphy. If you need a reminder as to why everyone's rushing to turn Exotic's story into a drama series, check out the Tiger King trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acTdxsoa428 The Nicolas Cage-starring, yet-to-be-named Joe Exotic series doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when further details are announced. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness is available to stream on Netflix. Via Variety. Top image: Netflix.
After a stellar season at London’s iconic Bush Theatre last year, Straight is having its Australian premiere at Melbourne institution, Red Stitch. After years of marriage, Lewis and his wife Morgan are confined to their claustrophobic apartment and dreaming of starting a family. But when Lewis’ effortlessly cool friend Waldorf comes to stay, he turns the couple’s cosy life upside down, and awakens their fear of commitment. Over the course of a play punctuated by explosive one-liners, the characters push the boundaries of good taste, common sense, and intimacy. And on a drunken night out, Waldorf and Lewis make a bet — one which pushes this flirtatious romp to breaking point. Adapted by writer DC Moore from the feature film Humpday, and featuring the onstage talent of Red Stitch’s resident actors, Straight is a comedy that looks equal parts hilarious and humane — a sticky cocktail of fragile tenderness and amateur pornography.
Asghar Farhadi is not yet so passe, because the latest release to come from the Iranian director, The Past (or original title Le Passé to le snobs) looks as good as his 2012 Academy Award-winning A Separation. Dubbed an engrossing psychological drama about choice and responsibility, the critically acclaimed French film features Bérénice Bejo (The Artist), awarded Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her work in this film. The Past follows Bejo's Marie and her children, who are deserted by husband Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) when he returns to his home in Iran. But in his absence, Samir (Tahar Rahim from The Prophet) hits the screen and, despite protests by her teenage daughter, Maria requests a divorce and Ahmad finds himself with renewed love for his estranged wife. The Past is in cinemas on February 6, and thanks to Madman Films, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
Another major up-and-comer on the local comedy circuit is Steph Tisdell — she won Deadly Funny in 2014, earning her the mantle of Funniest Aboriginal Woman in Australia. Her show Identity Steft draws on her Indigenous heritage, and will tackle racism, identity and mental health. In addition to her own show, Tisdell will perform as part of the Aboriginal Comedy All Stars showcase alongside Kevin Kropinyeri, Sean Choolburra and Andy Saunders.
Welcome to Thornbury will accommodate both your stomach and your flaming sinuses in a three-day event that is the Hot Sauce and Chilli Festival. If spice is your mate and you think you can handle some of the hottest chilli situations Melbourne can throw at you, now's your time to prove your mettle. Some you'll even have to sign a waiver to taste, so you know they'll be life-affirming. There'll be sauce offerings from Melbourne Hot Sauce, Soul Sauce and Little Brixton. If you've come for the actual food side of things, you're in luck, too — Belles Hot Chicken, Mr Burger. Bluebonnet Barbecue, Nem N Nem and Happy Camper Pizza will set up shop over the weekend, among others. And drinks? Well, the bar team will be serving 'hot pocket' shots. That's what you'll need a waiver for (and maybe some milk, too).
Two excellent TV comedies about show business hardly makes a trend, let alone heralds a golden age, but it's currently a fantastic time for smart, astute and extremely funny series about standing behind microphones. In 2021, Girls5eva and Hacks premiered in America within a week of each other, deservedly winning fans immediately. In 2022, they've both returned for their second seasons in the US and Down Under (via Stan and TVNZ On Demand) with the same timing. Accordingly, if you only want to watch shows about talented ladies chasing their starry dreams right now, that's firmly on the cards. If you're keen to dive deep into what makes something funny — how comedy evolves, shifts and swings; the differences between easy and well-earned laughs; the courage it takes to truly lay yourself bare during a standup set; and how comedy is received when it's coming from women rather than men, too — that's Hacks' remit. As the goofier and sillier but still wonderfully savvy Girls5eva does, it carves into the entertainment industry's treatment of women, and doesn't hold back from depicting the bleak reality. It's scathing, in fact. This Emmy- and Golden Globe-winner's specific target, though: the world of comedy. In season one, Hacks pushed Deborah Vance (Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, North Hollywood) together. The former is a veteran comic with a long-running Las Vegas residency, while the twentysomething latter reluctantly took a job as Deborah's assistant after thinking she was going to make it big in Los Angeles, then getting herself into trouble via an ill-thought-out tweet. The end result could've been cliched from start to finish. The series does indeed focus on a chalk-and-cheese pair who don't get along, slowly discover that they have more in common than either will admit, and try to navigate the unwelcoming realm that is comedy for women with each other's help. But, crucially, that whole concept is the premise, not the joke. Hacks doesn't laugh at its mismatched, wittily spiky central duo, but at everything they're stuck facing. The series' first season quickly cemented itself as one of 2021's best new TV shows — one of two knockout newbies starring Jean Smart last year, thanks to the aforementioned Mare of Easttown — and it's just as ace the second time around. It's still searingly funny, nailing that often-elusive blend of insight, intelligence and hilarity. It retains its observational, wry tone, and remains devastatingly relatable even if you've never been a woman trying to make it in comedy. And it's happy to linger where it needs to to truly understand its characters, but never simply dwells in the same place as its last batch of episodes. Season two is literally about hitting the road, so covering fresh territory is baked into the story; however, Hacks' trio of key behind-the-scenes creatives aren't content to merely repeat themselves with a different backdrop. Those guiding hands — writer Jen Statsky (The Good Place), writer/director Lucia Aniello (Rough Night) and writer/director/co-star Paul W Downs (The Other Two) — started Hacks after helping to make Broad City a hit. Clearly, they all know a thing or two about moving on from the past. That's the decision both Deborah and Ava had to make themselves in season one, with the show's second season now charting the fallout. So, Deborah has farewelled her residency and the dependable gags that kept pulling in crowds, opting to test out new and far-more-personal material on a cross-country tour instead. Ava has accepted her role by Deborah's side, and is willing to see it as a valid career move rather than an embarrassing stopgap. That said, last year's episodes also left the series with a potential wrecking ball: an email Ava wrote about Deborah while drunk, high, and upset about being slapped and insulted. Penned in anger and filled with extremely personal details about the comedian, it was sent to LA producers who wanted to hire Ava to mine Deborah's life for a new show about an insufferable woman in power. That destructive stream of text isn't season two's entire focus, but it's also inescapable, as much as Ava wants it to just disappear — as does Jimmy (Downs), Ava and Deborah's shared manager. But Hacks has always been willing to see that actions have consequences, not only for an industry that repeatedly marginalises women, but for its imperfect leading ladies. The brilliantly biting Smart continues to turn in awards-worthy work in Hacks' second season, and Einbinder still wears Ava's entitled chaos like a second skin. But there's one added bonus: now Deborah and Ava are lived-in characters, rather than newcomers to audiences. It's a pleasure to see both actors dive deep into what makes their on-screen alter egos tick, clash and occasionally get along; indeed, many of season two's best moments explore the whirlwind that ensues when Deborah and Ava fight but still clearly care about each other. Also upping the ante: being stuck on a tour bus on the road, decked out with a luxe bedroom for Deborah but condensing Ava's bunk to the tiny space above the onboard tanning bed. There, with fellow assistant Damien (Mark Indelicato, With Love) and new tour manager Weed (Laurie Metcalf, The Dropout) in tow, everyone's feelings bubble and boil in the resulting pressure cooker. Those supporting players — Deborah's daughter DJ (Katlin Olson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), business manager Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Candyman) and personal blackjack dealer Kiki (Poppy Liu, The Afterparty) included, as well as Jimmy and his high-maintenance assistant Kayla (Megan Salter) — don't get as much time to shine this time, though. That's the one difficulty that Hacks' sophomore batch of episodes have, but it's also the best kind of problem. There's still so much depth to Deborah and Ava's stories and their dynamic, and so much to unpack about them separately, together and in the world of comedy, that pushing the spotlight elsewhere is always going to prove tricky. The only solution: renewing Hacks for a third season, and hopefully more beyond that. Check out the trailer for Hacks season two below: Hacks' second season starts streaming via Stan in Australia from Friday, May 13, beginning with two episodes, then dropping further instalments weekly — and on TVNZ On Demand in New Zealand. Read our full review of season one. Images: Karen Ballard/HBO Max.
Each February, there's an easy way to find out what's hitting cinemas in the months ahead. When American football's biggest event of the year arrives, so does a heap of big-name movie trailers. In 2025, the week leading up to the Super Bowl has seen everything from Fantastic Four: First Steps to Jurassic World Rebirth debut sneak peeks. Also capitalising on prime timing: F1. The Formula 1 racing thriller already unveiled a sneak peek in 2024, but now another look has dropped linked to the Super Bowl. In it, Brad Pitt (Wolfs) feels the need for speed as a former driver who returns to the track. Filmmaker Joseph Kosinski clearly experiences the same sensation, too, given that this is his latest flick heading to cinemas after 2022 smash Top Gun: Maverick. "Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston and now McLaren all have a speed on the straights. Our shot is battling in the turns. We need to build our car for combat," said Pitt as Hayes in 2024's teaser trailer — if you're wondering how competitive the storyline will get. Zooming onto the silver screen at the end of June 2025, F1 focuses on fictional team APXGP, with Pitt as Sonny Hayes and Damson Idris (Snowfall) as his colleague Joshua Pearce. Also featuring on-screen: Kerry Condon (Skeleton Crew) and Javier Bardem (Dune: Part Two), giving the movie a recent Oscar-nominee (for The Banshees of Inisherin), plus another winner (for No Country for Old Men) alongside Pitt — and also Tobias Menzies (Manhunt), Sarah Niles (Fallen), Kim Bodnia (Nefarious) and Samson Kayo (House of the Dragon). If Kosinski's feats with his Top Gun sequel didn't already bode well for F1's racetrack action — and they do, and Top Gun: Maverick screenwriter Ehren Kruger (Dumbo) is also onboard here as well — then the fact that the movie shot during actual Grand Prix weekends should, too. F1's racing pedigree includes seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton's involvement, courtesy of his Dawn Apollo Films production company. The feature is also being badged as a collaboration with the Formula 1 community, spanning its teams, drivers and promoters. Check out the trailers for F1 below: F1 releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, June 26, 2025.
A new year means a new season of whichever sport takes your fancy, including all of the unexpected thrills that come with it. For anyone fond of a pint while watching a game, race, match or the like, Brunswick Street has a few surprises of its own — namely, the now-open bar The Roy, from the team behind cocktail-slinging stalwart Polly. Of course, the new watering hole came as less of a surprise to owner Casey Gordon and manager Chris Hinds, who put in a solid two-year stint of renovations, shaping an unused nook at the back of Polly into a cosy drinking den. The result is what the pair describe as a laidback 'local's local', accessed via a rear laneway, decked out with a big screen for watching sport, and with a vibe that's a few notches more casual than its older sister. Here, you'll settle in for a brew or whisky while enjoying the on-screen action, in a space where decent drinks and sport go hand-in-hand. Indeed, expect the same attention to detail and boozy prowess as Polly, with the sibling venue's years of expertise shine through in The Roy's drinks offering. Taking care of your thirst is a six-strong tap rotation running from the classic to the crafty, a broad lineup of wines by the glass, and a hefty spirits collection to top it all off. The Roy is now open at the rear of 401 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. For more information, visit theroy.com.au.
If you like croissants and ice cream, as everyone should, then we've just found the four tastiest words in the English language: Lune ice cream sandwich. Lune Croissanterie serves up limited-edition treats each month, and has just added to its February 2024 range with the ultimate special to see out summer. These $15 sandos are even made with croissant ice cream. There's three forms of croissant worked into Lune's latest Frankenstein's monster-esque pastry mashup, providing the outside of the sandwich and featuring in the filling. Wrapped around the ice cream is a pain au chocolat, which has been sliced open. And inside, that croissant ice cream is made using pastry-infused milk and caramelised croissant pieces. How do you whip up croissant ice cream? Lune takes its croissants, soaks them in milk, then uses that as a base. As it's churning, the caramelised croissant pieces are added. Yes, it just reading about it should make you hungry. "When we first opened Lune in Fitzroy, one day an ingenious staff member cut a pain au chocolat in half and filled it with some gelato we happened to have in the freezer. It became a mainstay staff snack (with a rather naughty nickname)," explains Lune owner and co-founder Kate Reid. "We've decided that it's far too good to keep in-house as a staff secret. My inner child is so stoked that it's making a public debut!" [caption id="attachment_735735" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josie Withers[/caption] The Lune ice cream sando is only on the menu from Saturday, February 10–Wednesday, February 28, and only at the chain's the chain's stores in Armadale in Melbourne and South Brisbane. There's no online pre-orders, either, so you will need to lineup to get your hands around this special. While you're there, you can also treat yo'self to something else in the February lineup. The twice-baked finger bun croissants are back, alongside cherry ripe pains au chocolat, tiramisu puddings, berry juniper cruffins, and harissa and goats' cheese escargots. Lune's ice cream sandwiches are available until Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at the chain's Armadale and South Brisbane stores only. Images: Lune.
