Uber is expanding its services in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, with new high-end and cost-effective ride options. Launched June 1, the new uberXL service is targeted at groups of up to six people. When requested, users will be picked up in an SUV or van, such as a Toyota Highlander, a Ford Explorer or a Nissan Quest. Alternatively, if you're looking for something a little bit swankier — but aren't keen to break the bank on uberBLACK — you can now order uberSELECT and connect with a driver in an upscale vehicle like an Audi A3, a BMW 3 series or a Lexus RX. Both uberXL and uberSELECT will be charged at 1.5x the cost of an uberX — although especially in the case of the uberXL, that's still a damn sight cheaper than you and your mates ordering two separate cars. In less exciting news, the ridesharing service is introducing a flat 55c booking fee on all rides, and is also raising the minimum fare rate in Sydney ($8 to $9) Melbourne ($6 to $7.50) and Brisbane ($6 to $7.50). "Following our recent roundtable listening discussions with driver-partners, we heard that an important improvement Uber could make to the driving experience would be increasing the minimum fare," said an Uber spokesperson. The booking fee, meanwhile, will be used to assist with "the operational costs associated with providing a ridesharing service."
You wouldn't be blamed for being a little more budget-conscious when it comes to your shopping habits lately. Fortunately, the much-loved Round She Goes fashion market returns to Melbourne from 10am–3pm on Sunday, September 21. Taking over Coburg Town Hall with the full range of high-quality, preloved women's fashion, there are over 60 stalls to rummage through, each jam-packed with stylish secondhand designer labels, chic vintage finds and quality handmade accessories. Hidden among the big names and cult-followed labels, you'll find designer fashion and vintage gems from the likes of Aje, Gorman, Zimmermann and Scanlan Theodore. And the styles up for grabs are as eclectic as the brands, with in-vogue finds ranging from the 1940s to the Y2K era. You're also bound to discover some must-have accessories, with Round She Goes offering Hermès and Liberty scarves alongside mid-century brooches and attention-grabbing jewellery. Prices start from $5, so staying on top of your budget is made easy.
After a stint in Heath Ledger's hometown, this stunning exhibition is making its way east to Canberra's National Film and Sound Archive. Celebrating the Perth-born actor's charisma, exemplary career and passionate creativity, Heath Ledger: A Life in Pictures is a must-see for all Ledger fans. Put together by AGWA, the WA Museum and guest curator Allison Holland, the exhibition follows Ledger's career from his teenage years up to his final role in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009). You'll get to see costumes — including the Joker suit from The Dark Knight and the shirts he wore as Ennis del Mar in Brokeback Mountain — alongside research journals (on display for the first time) that grant an insight into how Ledger developed his roles. Also included in the show are photographic portraits by the likes of Karin Catt and Bruce Weber, Ledger's Best Supporting Actor Oscar and BAFTA, and a chronological narrative of his career — including his own experimentation with image making and creative projects as a director. Promises to be a bittersweet reminder of just how talented Ledger was, and what even greater heights he would have gone on to achieve.
In what would have been his 100th year, the late Nelson Mandela will be honoured in a travelling exhibition set to make its world debut in Victoria next September. Hosted by Melbourne Museum, MANDELA My Life is expected to be the most comprehensive collection of the human rights icon's memorabilia ever to be shown outside South Africa. Alongside a huge assortment of artefacts, including warrants of committal for Mandela's 27-year stint in prison, the exhibit will explore the Nobel Peace Prize laureate's life through a series of film and audio archives. Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren said that Melbourne's hosting of the centenary exhibition was a huge win for the city. "Nelson Mandela fought every day for freedom, love and human rights — changing the world and making it a better place," Eren said. "We're proud this exhibition is making its world debut in Victoria, continuing Mandela's incredible legacy and reminding us all that it's in our hands to make a difference." MANDELA My Life is supported by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which is the custodian of most of the revolutionary's personal photographs, documents and memorabilia. After premiering in Melbourne, the exhibition will embark on a world tour of up to 20 cities, expected to be seen by as many as 2.7 million visitors globally. MANDELA My Life will be on display at Melbourne Museum from September 2018. Tickets will go on sale early next year. For more information, visit the exhibition's website. Image: NMF/Matthew Willman (2004).
Melbourne loves coffee — this is obvious when a new café opens and on its second day people are lining up outside the door. Industry Beans knows a thing or two about coffee and is pushing the caffeinated boundaries just a little. Brothers Trevor and Steve Simmons from Penny Farthing in Northcote have taken what was their roastery in Fitzroy and opened an on-site café. When it comes to their coffee offering, they really mean business. After sourcing beans from all over the world the guys over at Industry Beans put a lot of their energy into the on-site roasting to bring out the best characteristics they can. Single origins come from anywhere from Brazil to Kenya, while the house blend is a beautiful mix of chocolate and hazelnut notes, a perfect combination to milk. Not just a roastery or a place for top-notch coffee, Industry Beans Café is creating buzz for its food, too. The menu boasts an interesting selection, showing loads of personality and originality. The large menu has something for everyone. A Melbourne favourite is given a unique twist in the avocado smash with whipped ricotta, orange lime gel and green tea salt on sourdough. Other unique brunch items include the likes of a pandan bubble waffle with blueberry gelato and a banana coconut foam, and folded eggs teamed with sous vide barramundi, sambal oelek and coffee togarashi. Plus, a coffee-rubbed wagyu burger starring pickled zucchini and chilli jam. The space itself is stripped back and industrial, yet comfortable with bright white interiors accompanied by leafy vines adorning the floating beams — it's the kind of cafe that makes you want to linger.
It's time to charge your glasses for some grape-based festivities, because one of Victoria's best-known winemaking regions just scored a brand new 10-day wine festival. The inaugural PULP fest descends on the Yarra Valley from Friday, November 11–Sunday, November 20, for an extended celebration of local winemaking goodness. Unfolding across multiple regional venues — and a few inner-city spots, too — PULP's jam-packed program is stuffed full of tasting parties, feasts, showcases, gigs and more, paying equal homage to the scene's legends and its emerging stars. [caption id="attachment_877737" align="alignnone" width="1920"] FIN Wines[/caption] Highlights include a rollicking 90s-themed party launching Rob Dolan's latest retro-leaning range (November 19), and a collaborative DJ-fuelled shindig by wineries Jayden Ong and Timo Mayer, featuring skinsy vino, barbecue eats and mezcal negronis (November 18). You can catch one of Chandon's sparkling-matched, out-of-the-box high teas; team wine tastings with tacos at a lively event at FIN's cellar door (November 12); or swing past your local Wine Republic store for a taste of all the Yarra Valley wines that should be on your radar (November 11–19). [caption id="attachment_877738" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Giant Steps[/caption]
Can you feel a tingling in your toes as your feet start to defrost? That's the feeling of winter slipping away, or maybe you've been sitting cross-legged for too long. Either way, with the cold weather fading into the past for another year comes the return of a warm-weather favourite: Australia's beloved Moonlight Cinema. Ahhh balmy nights on the grass, we have missed you. Heralding the arrival of the sunnier months, Moonlight Cinema is a summertime tradition that will make its usual annual comeback at the end of 2022, then roll into 2023. As it always does, it'll hit up screens in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth for a few months of movies in the open air, under the stars and soaking in another Aussie summer. Nosh-wise, Moonlight Cinema will again let you BYO movie snacks and drinks (no alcohol in Brisbane, though), but the unorganised can also enjoy a plethora of bites to eat from food trucks — perfect, messy treats made for reclining on bean beds. The overall season runs from November through to March, although it varies city by city. As for what'll be screening, expect to hear what's on the bill closer to the outdoor cinema's return for the year — before the season kicks off in Brisbane and Sydney on Thursday, November 24, obviously. And, while the 2022–23 locations haven't yet been confirmed, Brisbane's season tends to pop up in Roma Street Parkland, Sydney's in Centennial Park, Perth's in Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Adelaide's in Rymill Park and Melbourne's in the Royal Botanic Gardens. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2022–23 DATES Brisbane: Thursday, November 24–Sunday, February 19 in Roma Street Parkland Sydney: Thursday, November 24–Sunday, March 26 in Centennial Park Perth: Friday, November 25–Sunday, March 26 in Kings Park and Botanic Garden Adelaide: Thursday, December 1–Sunday, February 19 in Rymill Park Melbourne: Thursday, December 1–Sunday, March 26 in Royal Botanic Gardens Moonlight Cinema kicks off in November 2022, running through until March 2023. For more information, visit the cinema's website — and we'll update you with program details when they're announced.
They call it Tina — The Tina Turner Musical, oh Tina — The Tina Turner Musical — and, while it finally arrived in Australia in May, it now has more dates around the nation. After premiering in London back in 2018, this stage ode to the music icon that's had Aussies dancing to 'Nutbush City Limits' for decades will tour Down Under, following up its current first local stint in Sydney with seasons in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne. No, it isn't taking to the stage in a church house, gin house, school house or outhouse — or on highway number 19, either. But Tina — The Tina Turner Musical will obviously have Crown Theatre, Festival Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Princess Theatre enjoying Turner's greatest hits in one massive show. The list of musical numbers includes 'Nutbush City Limits', naturally, as well as everything from 'River Deep, Mountain High' and 'Proud Mary' through to 'Private Dancer' and 'What's Love Got to Do with It?'. Tina — The Tina Turner Musical has made its trip Down Under courtesy of TEG DAINTY, Stage Entertainment and Tali Pelman, in association with Tina Turner herself before her passing in May this year. Announcing the show's stint on our shores back in 2022, the singer said that "Australia has always shared abundant love with me, going back to my early concerts in the late 70s through the uplifting partnership with the National Rugby League. It is very special for me that we will be reunited." "The joy, passion and message of resilience in my musical is so important now as ever. Thank you from the bottom my heart for welcoming me with open arms once again," Turner continued. The singer didn't mention her appearance in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, but she is indeed part of the beloved Mad Max franchise, too. In Australia, The Lion King, We Will Rock You, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Ragtime and Moulin Rouge! The Musical star Ruva Ngwenya plays Tina, with In the Heights, Fame: The Musical and fellow Moulin Rouge! The Musical alumni Tim Omaji as Ike Turner. Penned by Tony Award-nominee and Pulitzer Prize-winner Katori Hall, plus Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, and directed by fellow Tony-nominee Phyllida Lloyd, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical clearly has quite the story to tell. The show steps through Turner's life and fame, including growing up in Nutbush, Tennessee, the hard work that led to her career, all of those aforementioned hits, her 12 Grammy Awards, her volatile time with Ike and her huge solo success. If you're a fan, Turner herself summed it up — yes, it's simply the best. "I first heard about the possibility of a stage musical portraying Tina's life eight years ago and I immediately reached out to Tali Pelman at Stage Entertainment. At that point there was no script and no book; however, I was hooked on the idea of it," said TEG DAINTY CEO Paul Dainty about Tina — The Tina Turner Musical. "We have been on that journey ever since, and here we are today announcing the Australian tour! Australians love this theatrical masterpiece which tells the story of Tina's life, of empowerment and success, and is ultimately the best music industry comeback story of all time." TINA — THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL AUSTRALIAN DATES: Now until Sunday, December 31, 2023 — Theatre Royal, Sydney From Tuesday, February 27, 2024 — Crown Theatre, Perth From Wednesday, April 24, 2024 — Festival Theatre, Adelaide From Sunday, July 2, 2024 — Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane From Tuesday, September 24, 2024 — Princess Theatre, Melbourne Tina — The Tina Turner Musical is currently playing in Sydney, and will tour the rest of Australia in 2024. For more information and tickets, head to the musical's website. Images: Daniel Boud.
Looking for a place to embrace your inner wine snob? Well, you can do so on the corner of Malvern and Williams Roads in Toorak, which is home to the newly opened 505 Wine Room. A restaurant and bar with a 15-page wine list and a bottle shop attached, this upscale establishment offers a wide selection of local and international wines, along with comprehensive options for lunch and dinner specially paired to your shiraz or chardonnay. Open from midday until late seven days a week, the menu at 505 Wine Room is split into different sections, with recommendations based on what you're drinking. Those sipping champagne, for example, might want to try oysters with wasabi tempura, pickled ginger, cucumber and ponzu, or kingfish with dashi, golden shallot and organic soy. A dry white goes well with BBQ king prawns, while a more full-bodied red can be matched with slow-cooked lamb shoulder or ox cheek with mashed potatoes and greens. Dessert wines likewise deserve a sweet treat to go with them, be it churros with raspberry sorbet and chocolate dipping sauce, or Violet Crumble honeycomb with chocolate aero and violet ice cream. As is standard nowadays, the menu at 505 is seasonal, with plates designed to be shared. Those wanting a drink to go can pay a visit to the in-house bottle shop, where expert sommeliers will help you make a selection. Alternatively, happy hour (or, rather, a happy 55 minutes) at the bar starts at 5.05pm, offering $5 wines of the moment, $5 tap beers and $5 select spirits until 6pm. The wine bar will join a select few in the area, which includes Toorak Cellars and their soon-to-be-open collaboration with Milton Wine in Prahran. 505 Wine Room is located at 505 Malvern Road, Toorak. For more information visit 505wineroom.com.au. Images: Melissa Grant.
You know a show is a big deal when you have to Google whether the musician is still alive or not. Thankfully for us, the legendary tambourine man is still very much alive and kicking. And, to celebrate his 73rd birthday yesterday, Bob Dylan has announced a month-long run of Australian and New Zealand tour dates to kick off in August. Though this birthday would signify the age of retirement for many, this world-renowned singer-songwriter is showing no signs of slowing down. Having last toured the country with his 2012 album Tempest, Dylan has recently been leaking new content on his website. After releasing a cover of Frank Sinatra's 'Full Moon and Empty Arms', some have suggested the prolific musician's next album — number 36 — could be a compilation of covers. Either way, it'll be a treat to see this living legend perform live. But be sure to get in early! With an iconic sound that has spanned generations, these all ages shows are bound to sell out quick. Tour dates: Saturday, August 9 - Claudelands Arena, Hamilton. Wednesday, August 13 - Riverside Theatre, Perth. Thursday, August 14 - Riverside Theatre, Perth. Monday, August 18 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne. Tuesday, August 19 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne. Monday, August 25 - Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane. Friday, August 28 - Royal Theatre, Canberra. Sunday, August 31 - Entertainment Centre, Adelaide. Wednesday, August 3 - State Theatre, Sydney. Thursday, September 4 - State Theatre, Sydney. Wednesday, September 10 - CBS Canterbury Arena, Christchurch. Tickets for the Australian shows go on sale Tuesday, June 3 at 9am via Ticketek and Ticketmaster.
Whether you were one of those iso bakers tending to your sourdough starter, or simply glued to MasterChef's elimination challenges these last months, there's certainly been something comforting about spending more time in the kitchen right now. And someone who's made a career out of joyfully sharing his passion for at-home cooking is The Living Room co-host and I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! winner for 2020, Miguel Maestre. The Murcia-born, Australian chef is well known for repping Spanish cuisine, as well as for his flamboyant presenting style. He's the author of best selling cookbooks Miguel's Tapas and Spanish Cooking, as well as being the ambassador for Stockland Shopping Centres and the owner of Maestre Enterprises — one of Australia's largest Spanish food importers. But not everything Miguel cooks is Spanish leaning. In this live-stream cooking class, he'll show you how to make an easy, midweek meal that'll take just 15 minutes to knock up at home. Miguel's Chicken San Choy Bow borrows from Hong Kong origins and is a zesty crowd-pleaser, plus he'll show you a veggie option and some handy cooking skills along the way. You'll also learn how to whip up Miguel's Fudgy Chocolate Cake with chocolate glaze, as another family favourite. Cook along with Miguel from 6pm AEST on Thursday, June 18. The online cooking class is free to watch, and you can find all the necessary ingredients here. Simply click through to the Facebook event post and click 'going' to make sure you're updated with the live-stream link on the day. And if you're keen to share your prep ahead of or during the event, use the hashtag #stocklandfood for your chance to win a gourmet hamper worth $300. Competition ends at 6pm AEST on Sunday, June 21.
Explore the connection between the online and the IRL, as well as the role of the internet in societal inequality, when this hit production from Sydney's Darlinghurst Theatre Company and Green Door Theatre Company arrives in Melbourne. Directed by Bardi and Jabirr Jabirr woman Shari Sebbens (Top End Wedding, The Sapphires) and Zindzi Okenyo, starring Iolanthe and Chika Ikogwe (Netflix's Heartbreak High), and supported by an all-female production team, Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner follows an argument between two friends over the eponymous influencer and her supposed 'self-made billionaire' status. Delving into the commodification of Black women and exploitive nature of white capitalism, as well as the politics of social media activism, the production combines on-stage performances with gifs and memes. [caption id="attachment_837143" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Teniola Komolafe[/caption] "Racial gaslighting. Colourism. Homophobia. Online trolling. Cultural appropriation. Memes. This play leaves no stone unturned," says Green Floor Theatre Company Co-Creative Producer Bernedette Fam. Penned by celebrated British playwright Jasmine Lee-Jones, the Olivier Award-nominated play lands in Melbourne after a successful run of Brisbane and Sydney shows, playing at the Malthouse Theatre from Wednesday, January 18–Sunday, January 29. Images: Teniola Komolafe
Next time you swing past your local petrol station, you might be able to pick up more than just questionable coffee and Cadbury chocolate bars. In fact, you may be able to leave with a full tank, a rotisserie chicken and some luxe mac 'n' cheese. David Jones and BP have teamed up to open 31 super-fancy convenience stores across Sydney and Melbourne by the end of 2020. The duo has already opened ten trial stores across the two cities, with the first opening in Melbourne's Bayside back in November 2019. The new stores are set to open in Merrifield, Clyde, Epping, Caroline Springs, Eltham, Greenvale and Kingsway in Victoria, as well as in NSW's Kellyville, Marsden Park, Seven Hills, Willoughby, Caringbah, Mosman, Sydenham, Penrith, Thornleigh, Asquith, Engadine, Peninsula, West Ryde and Ourimbah. And they'll each be selling more than 350 different products. As well as top-shelf groceries, such as meats, fancy olive oil and peanut butter, they'll be home to a heap of ready-to-eat and heat-at-home meals. Pick from the likes of salads, sandwich and pastries — all David Jones quality, of course — and meals like green curry chicken, butter chicken, lasagne, mac 'n' cheese and free-range rotisserie chook, which are prepared on site each day. Because we live in pandemic times, each store will also offer a range of items for delivery via UberEats. Called Everyday by BP X David Jones, the delivery service is already available from Sydney's Artarmon, Ashfield, Kingsford and Rozelle, and Bayside, Brighton, Clarendon, Greensborough, Ringwood and Tally Ho in Melbourne. On the menu: pulled pork empanadas, haloumi fritters, bolognese and passionfruit cheesecake mousse. For more information about BP X David Jones stores, head to the BP website.
It isn't often that Americans seek inspiration from Australia; our humble shores are prone to mimicking rather than leading by example. And yet, just last week, Melbourne boys Chris McPherson and Chris Rendell launched Flinders Lane, a New York eatery inspired by their home city. "Most of the Australian restaurants in the city are like Outback Steakhouse or the Crocodile Dundee sort of vision," McPherson told the Village Voice. "We wanted to bring back what's actually there." Their venue, which opened on February 3, is full of the cross-section of cultures and cuisines that is so unique to Australia. McPherson and Rendell met a few years back, quickly agreeing on the need to plot a restaurant that would pay homage to modern Australian food. Predominately driven by a serious case of homesickness, the Aussie expats quickly set to work, establishing a spot for contemporary Australian cooking, a long way from home. The result? A delicious array of fresh seafood and Australian fruit and veg, from chef Rendell. Many dishes also sport an identifiable Asian influence — highlights include tandoori rabbit, steamed snapper in sesame broth and a chicken san choy bau. Drinks-wise, the boys aim to offer a boutique selection of domestic and international wines, as well as a seasonal cocktail list, steering away from the heavy Shirazes that characterise many stereotypical perceptions of an Australian drop. Three tap beers, including the classic Coopers Green, are also available to accompany your grub. The 40-seat eatery isn't covered with Melbournalia; its sleek, pared-back look is a more subtle nod to the city. There is, however, a stunning collection of Melbourne photography, including a massive print of namesake Flinders Lane on the back wall. Flinders Lane New York is located in the East Village: 162 Ave A, 212-228-6900. Via Fork in the Road.
If you love movies and the magic that goes into making them, it's easy to get spirited away when you head to the cinema. Come late August, however, that will definitely prove the case, because Studio Ghibli's moving castles, cat buses and cute balls of fluff are taking over screens around Australia. From August 24, the acclaimed and adored Japanese animation house will be floating across movie theatres thanks to a month-long Celebrate Studio Ghibli showcase. The jam-packed program spans all 22 of their gorgeous flicks plus a behind-the-scenes documentary. Yes, that means devouring everything from Hayao Miyazaki's early efforts such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Laputa: Castle in the Sky, to perennial crowd-pleasers My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away, to later efforts like Ponyo and The Wind Rises. Of course, while Miyazaki might've become synonymous with the studio he helped build, he's not their only filmmaking force — as doco The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness demonstrates. Ghibli's other stars also get their time to shine, with the likes of Isao Takahata' Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Tomomi Mochizuki's Ocean Waves, Hiroyuki Morita's The Cat Returns, and Gorō Miyazaki's Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill also on the bill. Basically, whichever Ghibli movie is your favourite, you'll get the chance to revisit it on the big screen. Plus, Melburnian Ghibli fans can also catch 15 titles on 35mm during the showcase's stint at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, doing justice to their eye-catching artistry. Celebrate! Studio Ghibli screens at various cinemas around Australia from August 24 to September 25. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the showcase website.
When Darth Vader told Luke Skywalker that they're more than just mortal enemies, it became one of the most famous lines of dialogue in movie history (and one of the most misquoted). If you've seen Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back, you'll know that it's a powerful, memorable moment that changes the shape of the entire space saga. Even if you haven't, you still know what we're talking about. Now, imagine just how epic it'll feel when you're watching the flick on a big screen and listening to John Williams' iconic score played by a live orchestra. Yes, The Force is strong in Melbourne once more, with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra staging the next in its series of Star Wars events: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert. This isn't the first time that the MSO has done the honours with this very film, but after returning to Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope already in 2023, it's clearly working its way back through the space-opera franchise. This time, there'll be multiple screens and performances over two weekends at Hamer Hall: from Thursday, October 5–Sunday, October 8 and Thursday, October 19–Saturday, October 21. Jedis, wookiees and droids alike can expect tussles between the Rebels and the Empire, Luke learning his true parentage, Han flirting with Leia and getting frozen in carbon, Chewbacca being awesome, R2-D2 being adorable and C-3PO being annoying (well, he is). Plus, it's the flick that marks the first appearance of Lando Calrissian and the first time 'The Imperial March' is heard. Conductor Nicholas Buc will be leading the charge again, and expect an energetic performance — it's his favourite Star Wars score. Updated: Friday, October 6, 2023.
Schlock, shock and devils, Monster Fest has it all. Organised by cult film distribution company Monster Pictures in conjunction with Cinema Nova, the festival, now in its third year, aims once again to shine a light on the most extreme, absurd and flat-out frightening horror flicks from Australia and beyond. With over 30 screenings, almost all of them Australian premieres, the 2013 program is the festival’s most impressive yet. Big titles include a 3D Dracula adaptation from Italian giallo master Dario Argento, a quintet of Japanese splatter films and a Los Angeles set creature feature about a big-ass spider titled, appropriately enough, Big Ass Spider! Opening night will showcase the new film by Melburnian director Daniel Armstrong, a roller-derby slasher pic called Murderdrome. Other highlights in the Australian section, christened Terror Australis, include porn-biz documentary The Last Days of Joe Blow from Melbourne Underground Film Festival founder Richard Wolstencroft, as well as the grand final of the inaugural Monster Micro-Nasties competition, wherein six budding filmmakers each pitch their version of a cannibal movie to a cinema full of genre-nuts. Rounding out the program are a selection of special events, including a VHS swap meet, a live Q&A with Linda Blair aka Regan from The Exorcist, plus a midnight ‘til dawn marathon screening of the first six Nightmare on Elm Street movies, collectively billed as A Nightmare on Lygon St. For tickets and the full Monster Fest program, see the festival website.
UPDATE: September 23 2020: A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Fred Rogers never made a splash in Australia. But watching A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, it's easy to see why the ordained Presbyterian minister turned children's television host is so beloved in the US, even 17 years after his death — and why adults who grew up watching Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood still hold him in such high regard. This thoughtful, full-hearted film doesn't merely tell viewers that Rogers was universally adored, or show the widespread devotion among his fans. As she proved in both The Diary of a Teenage Girl and Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Marielle Heller is far too soulful and observant a filmmaker for such a blunt approach. Rather, in a sensitive and astute manner reminiscent of Rogers himself, this delightful movie explores his appeal by examining his impact on one reluctant and cynical man. If you're a newcomer to Rogers, or you're jaded or skeptical by nature, consider Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) your on-screen surrogate. A writer for Esquire in 1998, he's the fictional stand-in for journalist Tom Junod, whose article 'Can You Say ... Hero?' inspired the film. Known for hard-hitting reporting, Vogel is taken aback when he's assigned to profile Rogers. He's also nowhere near as enamoured with his subject as everyone else, including his starstruck wife Andrea (Susan Kelechi Watson). Indeed, he's still hesitant when Rogers (Tom Hanks) engages in a generous chat on the phone and appears genuinely interested in getting to know him. Taking its cues from Rogers' puppet-filled TV show in inventive ways, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood begins by recreating Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood's opening. To the sounds of a gentle theme sung by Rogers, a model town fills the screen, before cutting to the show's star arriving home, popping on his famous red cardigan, swapping his dress shoes for sneakers and addressing the camera. Purposefully affable and inviting when watched by kids on weekdays for 33 years, it remains just as cosy here. To segue into the bulk of the film, Hanks' pitch-perfect version of Rogers says that he's going to tell a story about his hurt friend Lloyd — and while that might seem like cutesy gimmickry, it works perfectly in Heller's hands. With screenwriters Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), she understands that Rogers left such a lasting imprint on so many people because he made kids feel like he really saw them. Accordingly, treating Vogel in the same way isn't just a creative flourish — it's essential. The same idea applies to A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood's audience, who the film never forgets. This movie is well aware that viewers are experiencing the famed figure through Vogel's eyes — and it wants you to feel like you're in his shoes, being seen, welcomed and accepted by the kindly host as well. A new father struggling with issues with his own long-absent dad (Chris Cooper) that stem back to childhood, Vogel's backstory assists. While somewhat generic, it's also immensely relatable. Everyone has pain from the past they haven't fully processed, which was Rogers' whole remit. His show helped kids express their emotions and personalities in healthy ways, and tackle topics as dark as death, divorce and war. Even though Vogel is much, much older, it's a role Rogers is still eager to play for his new friend. Conveying that compassion, grace and sincerity is a task only Hanks could've mastered. It's a case of getting a beloved, benevolent icon to play just that — although Hanks ensures that Rogers is a person rather than a shining picture of perfection. This isn't a warts-and-all tell-all and, as 2018 documentary Won't You Be My Neighbour? demonstrated, that film will never exist. Instead, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood remembers a man who considered himself ordinary while having an extraordinary effect on others. You could say the same about Hanks, which is what makes his casting so sublime. His is a superb, deservedly Oscar-nominated performance that's never an act of simple mimicry, but that he's as revered — and has been a reliable screen presence for decades, too — is never forgotten. Amidst cardboard backdrops recreating Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood, talking puppets and scenes of Rogers making adults wait so he can spend more time with his child fans, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood doesn't completely or even primarily belong to Rogers. His influence looms large, but this is really Vogel's story — and that makes the film all the better. Rhys finds his character's world-weary centre, then allows it to slowly crumble as his bond with Rogers grows. In the process, the movie mirrors the way the TV host found a place in millions of children's hearts, and cracks the cloak of cynicism hanging over some of its own viewers, too. It's easy to think that a feature like this will be too sappy, kitschy or hokey, just as Vogel thought about Rogers — but a man brimming with empathy and this charmingly made movie about his impact are both the perfect antidotes to distrust and disillusionment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CELbK9q_ZeA
Australians, if you like your burgers cruelty-free, then you've probably been keen to introduce your tastebuds to Impossible Foods. One of the big names in plant-based meat, the brand has built up quite the following in the US — and, from today, Thursday, November 4, it's finally available Down Under. Known for making not just meat alternatives but also dairy substitutes out of plants, Impossible has launched in Australia with two big collaborations: with burger chain Grill'd and Sydney fried chicken joint-meets-sneaker shop Butter. Nationwide, you can now tuck into four Impossible burgs made with the brand's beef alternative. If you're a Sydneysider, you have a couple more options at Butter's Chatswood and Parramatta outposts, and you'll also be able to try a broader menu at Butter's upcoming Impossible pop-up in The Rocks. For burger fiends, those four new additions at Grill'd Australia-wide include a cheeseburger (complete with vegan cheese and vegan mayonnaise), the 'Simply Grill'd' which recreates the chain's standard burg, a vegetable-heavy option that comes with beetroot and avocado, and an Aussie spin on the concept that also adds beetroot and barbecue burger sauce. In Sydney, Butter is doing an Impossible cheeseburger and an Impossible classic burger, marking the first time it's ever had plant-based meat alternatives on its menu. Butter will also be adding a new Impossible burger to its lineup every fortnight, and slinging Impossible lasagnes and meatball subs via its home-delivery brand Mumma Julian's. And, at a yet-to-be-revealed date sometime later in November, Butter's Impossible pop-up in The Rocks will only serve items made with Impossible beef. Think: meat-free katsu, cheeseburgers and chilli cheese fries, plus whatever else Butter co-owner and executive chef Julian Cincotta comes up with. In total, Impossible's meat-less 'beef' is now available in more than 150 restaurants around the country — and you can expect more places to join the list. And if you're wondering what makes the brand's plant-based options stand out, it was named the best plant-based burger by The New York Times. Grill'd's Impossible menu is available in stores from Thursday, November 4. Butter is serving two Impossible burgers at its Chatswood and Parramatta outposts, and will set up an Impossible pop-up in The Rocks later in November. For further details about Impossible, head to the brand's website.
Here are some things that have happened in the stories of American writer David Sedaris: A man goes in search of a stuffed owl to give to his boyfriend for Valentine's Day. Befriending a taxidermist who confirms his interest in formerly alive creatures is strictly non-professional, the man finds himself in a London basement gazing at the 400-year-old preserved head of a 14-year-old girl and the skeleton of a 19th-century Pygmy. They raise questions, uncomfortable ones. Like, 'how much are they?' A man takes a job at Macy's department store as a Christmas elf named Crumpet. He encounters fistfights, vomiting and magnificent tantrums, children with modelling contracts and children with adjectives instead of first names. He tells a child that Santa has changed his policy, and no longer brings coal if you misbehave. Instead he will break into your house, steal all your appliances, and leave you alone, in the dark, with nothing. A father imagines his children forming a jazz quartet. Hoping to make the fantasy reality, the father gifts the son 'that guitar you always wanted'. The son, while regularly petitioning for a brand-name vacuum cleaner, had never mentioned a guitar. He takes lessons from an artistically thwarted midget, until one evening the son admits to his teacher that what we really wants to do is perform a medley of television jingles in the voice of Billie Holiday. David Sedaris has developed a cult-like following for penning insightful, satirical, real-life stories like those above. His latest book is entitled Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls. You could read it, if that is a thing you would like to do. You could also read Naked, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Me Talk Pretty One Day or any of his other fine collections available at your local bookshop. A regular contributor to This American Life, Sedaris will be touring Australia and New Zealand in January 2014. You can sign up for exclusive pre-sales at his website. SYDNEY Sydney Opera House Saturday 18 January MELBOURNE Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Tuesday 21 January CANBERRA Canberra Theatre Centre Wednesday 22 January BRISBANE Brisbane Powerhouse – Powerhouse Theatre Thursday 23 January PERTH Perth Concert Hall Friday 24 January AUCKLAND Civic Theatre, Auckland Sunday 26 January https://youtube.com/watch?v=1msZQjwlebU
In the lead-up to its tenth birthday, artisan cacao brand Mörk opened the doors to a second outpost for its much-loved range of fine drinking chocolates and other handmade sweet treats; this time taking over an old lift shaft in a CBD laneway. The new pint-sized digs in Equitable Place are slinging Mörk's signature hot — and chilled — chocolate drinks, along with a range of take-home products and sweet treats, all for takeaway. This tiny haven is also where you'll find the cult-favourite Swedish cinnamon buns from sister label, Söt by Mörk. The store's range of luxe drinking chocolate trips through varying degrees of cacao darkness, all ready to enjoy with your choice of regular, oat or coconut milk (from $6). Or, if you prefer coffee, the caffeinated lineup comes courtesy of a collaboration with Patricia Coffee Brewers ($4.5). That famed Campfire Hot Chocolate also gets a spin here, with its theatrical show of smoke, chocolate and toasted marshmallow ($9). The hole-in-the-wall is turning out a range of plant-based beverages, too, including a hazelnut and almond blend ($8), and a Bounty-inspired fusion of caramelised coconut and sea salt ($8). And should your sweet tooth need a little extra lovin', there's a cabinet full of goodies from the Söt line — gooey twice-baked chocolate cake, florentines finished with Rooftop Honey, and miniature pistachio bundts loaded with yuzu chocolate ganache, to name a few. [caption id="attachment_825088" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mork's Campfire Hot Chocolate, by Kristoffer Paulsen[/caption] Images: Kristoffer Paulsen
The 21st-century has not been kind to the vampire. Between Stephenie Meyer's sparkling high schoolers, the leather-clad killers of the Underworld series and whatever the hell those things in I Am Legend were meant to be, the once noble creatures of the night have been reduced by pop-culture to cringeworthy caricatures. Bela Lugosi must be turning in his grave. Enter Jim Jarmusch, director of Dead Man, Ghost Dog and Broken Flowers, to name just a few. One of the enduring figures of the American indie film movement, Jarmusch has made a career out of minimally plotted, post-modern genre subversions, and his latest work is no exception. Mixing traditional vampire mythology with the director's distinctively aloof brand of cool, Only Lovers Left Alive is a handsome, compelling, meditative take on the lives of the eternal undead. An appropriately gaunt and pasty Tom Hiddleston plays Adam, a centuries-old bloodsucker living on the outskirts of Detroit. A reclusive figure, Adam's only human contacts are a crooked hospital doctor (Jeffrey Wright) who provides him with fresh batches of O-negative, and a wide-eyed rock 'n' roll fan (Anton Yelchin) from whom the vampire buys vintage guitars. Aside from his music, the one thing Adam cares about is his wife, Eve (Tilda Swinton), with whom he is reunited not long after the movie begins. For a while, the immortal lovers live in peace, but their solitary existence is shattered by the arrival of Eve's impulsive younger sister (Mia Wasikowska). Read our full review of Only Lovers Left Alive here. Only Lovers Left Alive is in cinemas on Thursday, April 17, and thanks to Madman, 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 https://youtube.com/watch?v=ycOKvWrwYFo
Now that Victoria's sixth lockdown is behind us, Melburnians no longer need to spend all their time at home. And, if you're now keen to venture into the CBD outside of work hours, the City of Melbourne has brought back an affordable solution. Not everyone wants to spend too much time on public transport at present; however, getting a park in the city isn't usually a cheap option. That's changing between Wednesday, October 27–Saturday, December 25, with a number of Wilson, Secure, Ace, Care Park, Nationwide and First Parking sites doing $5 parking deals. If you took advantage of the special last time it popped up back in July, you might've noticed a difference: there's a few more car park companies involved this time around. That cheap fee will still apply at the same times, though — so it's on offer after 4pm on weekdays and all day on weekends. Just like last time, the deal aims to encourage Melburnians to spend more time in the CBD. The catch: you do still need to pre-book before you drive in, either by hitting up either company's website or their app. And, you'll need to enter the code 'CITYPARK21' while booking. Across the two months, the discounted rate can be redeemed at more than 20 car parks — and just like in the middle of the year, you can expect it to prove popular. "When we launched the $5 deal in July, it generated more than 41,000 bookings in just a few weeks," said Lord Mayor Sally Capp. "This is one of the many initiatives we are rolling out to support city businesses, encourage visitation, and help Melbourne bounce back faster and stronger. On the first weekend after lockdown lifted, some key city locations experienced up to a tenfold increase in activity in the evenings. That confirms what we suspected — that people are bursting to get back to City of Melbourne," the Lord Mayor continued. For more information about the City of Melbourne's $5 CBD parking between Wednesday, October 27–Saturday, December 25, head to the City of Melbourne website.
If you had to restrict your menu to just dough, and stuff you can make with dough, what would you serve? There's actually a fairly wide selection: bread, cakes, pastries, pizza and pasta. Everything a growing body needs. This is the general inspiration behind a new restaurant coming to Melbourne's CBD, dubbed ANTARA 128. It's the brainchild of Executive Chef and co-owner of Sunda and Aru, Khanh Nguyen, and it's set to rise in late 2023. While Nguyen's name alone is enough to get Melburnians excited, given the enormous splash that Sunda and Aru have made on Melbourne's dining scene — ANTARA 128 is also backed by the Halim Group, who oversaw the restoration of the Hotel Windsor. [caption id="attachment_825951" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Sunda, supplied[/caption] "With ANTARA, we wanted to look to the dining scene of Europe, but done in a Melbourne way," Group Director Adi Halim says. "I've always liked the feel of European brasseries, places that open from early to late which you can drop in at throughout the day." Details are still sketchy on ANTARA 128, but you can expect a mostly dough-fuelled menu. Fresh-baked bread and pastries each morning, strong coffee for commuters, soft mounds of pizza dough and ribbons of fresh-made pasta, with everything given a dusting of Nguyen's trademark spice. "Follow us as we slowly rise," reads the current website. "We will be bringing the sensibility of that to this venture and depart from our norm, with the food having a European focus with an Asian touch," says Halim. [caption id="attachment_837098" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Aru by Ari Hatzis[/caption] Keep an eye out for ANTARA 128 at 128 Exhibition Street in the CBD. We'll provide more details ahead of the launch. Top image: Khanh Nguyen by Ryan Noreiks.
In Finland in 2015, British Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller unveiled a rock show. No, he didn't pick up an instrument. Rather, he staged a 24-hour movie marathon filled with music documentaries playing all day and all night. In 2024, it's Melbourne's turn to dance through this cinema endurance test (or remain seated, if you can resist the urge to do more than just tap your toes). 24 Hour Rock Show is making a trip Down Under for RISING 2024, and also linking in with the Day Tripper music festival. Both that fest-within-the-fest and this feast of films kick off at 12pm on Saturday, June 8. You'll get priority access to 24 Hour Rock Show if you're hitting up Day Tripper, but entry to the screenings at The Capitol are free either way. Deller will be on hand to get things started with a speech — and then movies upon movies (upon movies upon movies) will roll. The iconic Stop Making Sense, 2023's ONEFOUR: Against All Odds and Glastonbury the Movie are just some of the flicks getting a whirl. The Judas Priest- and Dokken-focused Heavy Metal Parking Lot, No Fixed Address on Tour in the UK, Johnny Cash live at San Quentin and Grace Jones: Private Life are also on the bill. And, amid clips from the archives at the ABC and Rage, unreleased fan footage of Warumpi Band playing live and more, Aussie concert film Australian Made features INXS, Divinyls, The Triffids and Jimmy Barnes, while DOA: A Right of Passage heads on Sex Pistols' last tour, complete with Iggy Pop, The Clash and Billy Idol as well. Top Stop Making Sense image: Jordan Cronenweth, A24.
Fancy staying in a room that takes inspiration from Pinot or Grigio wines? Or one that looks like a French log cabin? How about bunkering down in a space that a spy might book for the night? Or a nautical-themed abode? Maybe you'd like a room styled after Tavi Gevinson? The list really does go on. Plus, more than that, do you fancy picking from 39 unique rooms yourself? That's the concept at Sydney's newest hotel, The Collectionist. Yes, the Camperdown place is so keen on the whole 'choose-your-own-adventure' idea that it lets guests select their own rooms upon check-in. Billed as the city's "first authentic custom designed hotel", The Collectionist pushes the concept of individualised patron experiences to a whole new level, letting them nab a favourite from the assortment of designer suites on offer. Here, instead of being allocated a random suite, guests at The Collectionist will suss out the available rooms at check-in and choose exactly where they want to spend their stay. Access codes are sent via email and SMS, in another change to the standard process — and from 4–8pm, the hotel hosts welcome drinks for all patrons. Now open in a former warehouse space, the rooms are the product of seven designers from four design studios, plus 13 artists, who spent teamed up to create the unique spaces. It's a concept Collectic Hotels co-founder Daniel Symonds likens to browsing works of art, and no two two rooms are the same, with each boasting its own unique colours, textures and style. It's a great idea if you're in the mood to choose, but probably less than ideal when you're crashing hard after a long-haul flight. Or if all the rooms have already been taken by people who arrived earlier than you. Unsurprisingly, The Collectionist has also done away with the usual room number caper, in favour of eclectic names like the Queenie Fah Fah, Cloud Runner and La Chamber Noir. Just don't expect them all to be your cup of tea. "I would be surprised — and a little disappointed, to be honest — if there weren't some divided opinions on the rooms designs," said Symonds. "We have purposely set about creating rooms that will challenge the 'norms' on hotel room design." The Collectionist Hotel is now open at 9–13 Marsden Street, Camperdown. Visit the hotel website for bookings and further details.
Japanese photographer Shinichi Maruyama has captured nude dancers from an unsual viewpoint, representing their motion in a series of complex whirls and swirls. The result is an elaborate yet beautiful depiction illustrating some of the amazing movements the human body is capable of. Maruyama has gracefully encapsulated the swaying of legs, swinging of hips and twirling of arms and combined the movements to create a single, intertwined image of motion patterns that enthralls and amazes. Take a look at these shots from Maruyama's remarkable series of blurred nude dancers.
Plenty of movies have hit cinemas and streaming in 2022, including ace and terrible flicks alike, but few films have sparked as much chatter as Don't Worry Darling. First up, it earned attention thanks to its director and cast, with the twisty thriller marking actor-turned-filmmaker Olivia Wilde's second stint behind the lens after Booksmart, and starring Florence Pugh (The Wonder) and Harry Styles (My Policeman). Then, the picture started causing talk due to a whole heap of off-screen chaos, such as awkward press conferences, possible spit and other rumoured scandals among its main figures. So, by now, everyone has heard about Don't Worry Darling. If you haven't yet seen it since it released in Australian cinemas at the beginning of October — and it is worth seeing — you can now do that at home, too. Like everything from Dune, The Matrix Resurrections, Spencer and West Side Story through to Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Elvis and Nope this year, the film has joined the list of fast-tracked flicks making their way to digital while still brightening up the big screen. Here, Pugh plays Alice, who gets stranded in the worst kind of 1950s-style ordeal despite all initial appearances to the contrary. Victory, the community where she lives with her husband Jack (Styles), appears picture-perfect; however, we all know how that can be deceiving. Indeed, the dreamy facade unravels quickly. The town is home to the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project — such as Jack — and their families, and it's where Don't Worry Darling's central duo are meant to enjoy nothing but bliss. They're given two rules to abide to, though: exercising the utmost discretion and committing 100-percent to Victory's vision, even if the town's wives don't actually know what their husbands get up to all day. That's all well and good — and terrific, in fact for most of Victory's residents — but it stops being the case for Alice. Despite a pervasive mood of optimism around the place, as well as overt reassurances by company CEO Frank (Chris Pine, All the Old Knives) and his wife Shelley (Gemma Chan, Eternals), Alice is certain that all isn't quite what it seems — or that she can or should trust what the company is so determined to impress upon the town's inhabitants. Yes, as immaculate as Don't Worry Darling looks, it's 100-percent a psychological thriller. It gives off huge The Truman Show vibes, too, as Alice refuses to acquiesce. The film also co-stars Wilde herself, playing another Victory employee's spouse, as well as Nick Kroll (Our Flag Means Death), KiKi Layne (The Old Guard), Sydney Chandler (The Golden Rut), Kate Berlant (A League of Their Own), Asif Ali (WandaVision), Douglas Smith (Big Little Lies), Timothy Simons (Station Eleven) and Ari'el Stachel (Zola). Check out the trailer for Don't Worry Darling below: Don't Worry Darling is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream online via video on demand from Monday, November 7 — including via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Prime Video in Australia. The film is also still showing in NZ theatres as well, and can be streamed in Aotearoa via Neon, Google Play and iTunes. Read our full review.
Prepare yourself for a serious case of house envy. The winners of the 2017 Houses Awards have been announced and, well, it's easy to see why they won. Taking out the gong for House of the Year is the Auchenflower House in Auchenflower, Queensland. Designed by the team at Vokes and Peters, the deceptively simple dwelling was described by the jury as "the result of the architecture practice's sustained investigations into the Queensland vernacular, and the straightforward application and sensory qualities of utilitarian materials." The Auchenflower House also won the award for House Alteration and Addition Under 200m², an accolade it shared with Branch Studio Architect's A Pavilion Between Trees in Balnarring, Victoria. The Melbourne-based practice also took home the chocolates for Best New House Under 200m² with Balnarring Retreat, while Best New House Over 200m² went to Edition Office's Fish Creek House in Foster, Victoria. Check out the full list of House Award winners, below.AUSTRALIAN HOUSE OF THE YEAR – Auchenflower House by Vokes and Peters (Auchenflower, QLD) NEW HOUSE UNDER 200m² – Balnarring Retreat by Branch Studio Architects (Balnarring, VIC) NEW HOUSE OVER 200m² – Fish Creek House by Edition Office (Foster, VIC) HOUSE ALTERATION AND ADDITION UNDER 200m² – Auchenflower House by Vokes and Peters (Auchenflower, QLD) and A Pavilion Between Trees by Branch Studio Architects (Balnarring, VIC) HOUSE ALTERATION AND ADDITION OVER 200m² – Street House by ME (Burleigh Heads, QLD) APARTMENT OR UNIT – Bobhubski by March Studio (Falls Creek, VIC) OUTDOOR – Waterloo House by Anthony Gill Architects with Budwise Garden Design (Waterloo, NSW) SUSTAINABILITY – Fish Creek House by Edition Office (Foster, VIC) and Garden Pavilion by BLOXAS (Brunswick, VIC) HOUSE IN A HERITAGE CONTEXT – Jac by Panov Scott Architects (Dulwich Hill, NSW) EMERGING ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE – ME (QLD)
On the first weekend in November, more than 150 music acts are set to take over Bendigo, pouring into town for the annual Blues & Roots Music Festival. Whether your thing is getting amongst it at a huge, outdoor concert or kicking back to mellow tunes in a small bar, there'll be something on the program to make your ears prick up. At the festival's heart is a free, all-day, all-ages shindig in Rosalind Park featuring more than a dozen acts. Outside of that, you'll have more than 50 venues to choose from — including a moving one, the Bendigo Blues Tram. This engaging experience sees some of the festival's cracking blues artists take over a historic city tram, filling it with music as it rolls through the city from the Central Deborah Goldmine to the Joss House and back. Look out, too, for laneway parties, workshops, pop-ups, buskers and loads more. The majority of the festival is free, but you can also pick up an Easy Rider Pass for $99 that'll guarantee you stellar seats at some of the more popular events.
If you thought your pooch was spoiled before, just you wait until they find themselves living it up at Scratch Patch — the activity-filled pop-up dog park of their twitchiest doggy dreams. The brainchild of ethical pet food company Scratch, Scratch Patch has arrived at Edinburgh Gardens from Saturday, March 5–Sunday, March 27. And oh boy, is it a mood. The playground is filled with fun obstacles and activities for the four-legged crowd, from high jump and agility poles to ball pits and totem tennis. There's even a dog-friendly pop-up pool. If your pup is more of a book worm type, we're sure they'll be pretty stoked with a visit to the on-site stick library. Meanwhile, a tuck shop is slinging an array of healthy Scratch pet food and treats for big appetites. And, since no pet parent can call themselves such without a camera roll full of adorable snaps to prove it, there'll be installations offering photo ops galore. Scratch customers and City of Yarra residents can enjoy Scratch Patch for free, with a $10 cover charge for everyone else. Bookings are required — you'd better snap up a play slot for Luna so she doesn't get left out and have to hear about it from all her mates forevermore.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it both, in a way? Next time you see something hovering in the sky in southeast Queensland, the answer to that last question could be yes. Not content with simply serving up fried chook on land as it's done for decades, KFC has taken to the skies to pilot a new delivery method — ferrying its finger-lickin'-good chicken pieces, burgers, nuggets and fries around select suburbs via drone in an Australian-first for the chain. If you've always wanted your lunch or dinner to swoop in from above, to feel like you're living in the future or to take the whole pandemic-era contactless purchasing setup literally to another level, you'll need to live in the SEQ suburbs of Kingston, Logan Central, Slacks Creek, Underwood and Woodridge to get your flying KFC fix. And, you'll also have to download the Wing delivery app, too, with the fast-food chain teaming up with the on-demand drone delivery service on its new way to get chicken direct to your door. Where your chicken is going, it doesn't need roads. And no, it isn't yet April 1, so this is genuinely happening. KFC has also set up a dark kitchen just to cater to drone orders — which it's calling a 'cloud kitchen', but obviously still sits on the ground — and says that some deliveries might arrive within minutes. Here's how it works: once you place your order, the drone will fly to the KFC kitchen to pick it up, and will then head back up to flying altitude to get to its delivery destination. With packages of up to 1.5-kilograms, it can travel more than 110-kilometres per hour. When it arrives at your house, it'll slow down, bring itself to a delivery height of about seven metres above the ground, and lower your food on a tether — which'll automatically release. You don't need to unclip anything, and the drone doesn't need to land, either. Wing advises that on-demand drone deliveries have proven quite popular in Logan over the past year, with more than 100,000 deliveries made in 2021, if you're wondering why it was chosen for this trial. If you're a Brisbanite who doesn't live in any of the pilot suburbs but resides nearby, KFC and Wing are also gradually planning to expand the delivery radius to neighbouring spots sometime in the future — but exactly where and when hasn't been revealed. For fried chicken lovers elsewhere, cross your fingers that your next zinger or three-piece feed will be taking to the air sometime in the future. To order KFC via drone if you live in Kingston, Logan Central, Slacks Creek, Underwood and Woodridge, download the Wing delivery app.
Cumulus Up's City Cellar Door series returns for 2017, featuring a revolving door of Victorian wine producers all keen to show off their top-notch drops. The event is the perfect opportunity to taste delicious wine, chat directly to the makers and grab your fave bottles at cellar door prices — all without leaving the CBD. The next instalment in the series — which will run on the first Saturday of every month until November — kicks off at midday on July 1, this month paying homage to the Mornington Peninsula. Wine enthusiasts will be treated to stellar tipples from the likes of Montalto Vineyard, Moorooduc Estate, Prossimo and Taturry, alongside matched snacks available from the Cumulus clan. And what's wine without cheese? To make sure the event has all the trimmings, Prahran Market's Maker & Monger will be on deck dishing out delicious raclette. Entry is by gold coin donation, with all proceeds going to a different charity each month. This is a not to be missed event for anyone who loves wine (and cheese).
UPDATE, March 4, 2021: Can You Ever Forgive Me? is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Can You Ever Forgive Me? takes its title from Lee Israel's memoir, but like much in her life, the words aren't completely her own. Israel first penned the phrase in the guise of Dorothy Parker, forging a letter by the famous American poet and writer, and selling it for a handsome sum. For a brief period in the early 90s, that's how Israel made a living. After establishing her career as a celebrity biographer, and earning praise for channelling the voice of her subjects, she couldn't get another book published. So she put those skills to other use, starting with a genuine but embellished thank you note, and segueing into outright — and highly lucrative — counterfeiting. Still, Israel was proud. "I'm a better Dorothy Parker than Dorothy Parker," she boasted. Based on Israel's confessional account of her crimes, Can You Ever Forgive Me? tells this heist-like tale, however it also tells so much more. Directed with an eye for quiet detail by Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl) from an evocative and insightful screenplay by Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said) and Jeff Whitty, it's an examination of everything from loneliness to the limits of celebrity worship — the things we do to fill our lives, and the need we have to connect with our idols. The film also charts a complex friendship that acts as a temporary balm for two unhappy souls, and portrays a tender, tentative and troubled romance, neither of which follow any formula. Of course, first and foremost, it's a portrait of the movie's central figure. Even if Israel hadn't dabbled with literary fraud, she could've spawned numerous character studies. Played with a hard veneer and begrudgingly vulnerable centre by a career-best Melissa McCarthy, Israel is passionate about chronicling the lives of great women. With her agent (Jane Curtin) continually brushing her off, she's also vastly under-appreciated. She drinks whisky at the thankless job that pays her bills until she's fired, and at her favourite bar every chance she gets. She refuses to temper her personality to please anyone, or simply get along with anyone for that matter. As becomes clear whenever Israel interacts with the world, she loves her cat more than people — even bookseller Anna (Dolly Wells) on their awkward dates, and even fellow outcast and barfly Jack Hock (Richard E. Grant), who becomes her only friend. Then her beloved feline falls ill and Israel can't afford to take her to the vet, so she gets into the forgery game. Many of Can You Ever Forgive Me?'s delights come from McCarthy, both when she's alone and also sharing scenes with Grant. While Israel was real and her story as well, the screen versions of both come to life in the actor's hands. It's a compelling, awards-worthy performance, one that's played close to the chest to capture Israel's closed-off nature, while remaining expressive in every inch. McCarthy paints Israel as someone who's always herself, even when she's pretending not to be — and when she pals around with Grant's rambunctious, resourceful, up-for-anything drinking buddy, the duo feel like they could walk out of the film and into any dank New York watering hole of their choosing. On the surface, McCarthy's switch from garnering laughs to evoking deep empathy might sound familiar, with plenty of comedians following that path before. And yet, nothing about her work as the misanthropic and purposefully thorny Israel feels routine, which is another of Can You Ever Forgive Me?'s great charms. Heller knows how juicy Israel's tale is, and firmly proves that fact is stranger than fiction. She also knows that this story is a product of a fascinating, complicated and distinctive woman, who both committed the details to the page and actually committed the crimes. Heller may only have two movies to her name, however she's a perceptive, probing and generous director, giving her characters the space they need to shine and fail and experience everything in-between. Indeed, in bringing Israel's life to the screen, Heller and McCarthy have clearly taken her words to heart. The real-life writer bragged about stepping into someone else's shoes so easily and convincingly, and the women leading this fantastic film achieve the very same thing — just without perpetrating a sham. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvJIaNsf_bY
Having tackled southern American fare with their Greville Street original White Oaks Saloon, and recreated the Southern Cali taphouse experience for follow-up Silverlake Social. Now, brothers Nicholas and Thomas Welch are trekking across the border for their latest hospitality project, Prahran's Casa N.O.M. Bar y Restaurante. Sitting just across the road from its oldest sibling, this mezcaleria and restaurant is dishing up an authentic taste of Latin America, with a focus on fine booze offerings from all across the region. Here, a diverse lineup of mezcal reigns supreme, while strong collections of tequila, rum, pisco, aguardiente and cachaça showcase Latin America's broad-ranging spirits offering. You'll also spy an impressive rotation of imported craft beers and lots of cocktails such as the Jamaica Crush — a blend of hibiscus, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and lime. And the Welches have a good game when it comes to the boozy stuff, having spent the past few years scouting out countless interesting international drops through their importing business, High Spirits Beverages. They've even named this newcomer after the Norma Oficial Mexicana (Official Mexican Standard), which refer to the guidelines and standards for mezcal and tequila production in Mexico. The food menu is also replete with traditional Latin flavours, kicking off with punchy snacks like loaded blue corn chilaquiles, and Yucatan-style croquettes stuffed with plantain and raisins. Larger plates include Colombian-style black bean arepas served with spring pea guacamole, quesadillas filled with mushroom, asparagus and leek, and fried globe artichokes starring the house chipotle mayo. Dulce de leche-loaded alfajores headline the dessert lineup, and you'll find a swag of great weekly specials, including Wednesday's $20 quesadilla and beer deal, and $15 margaritas each Sunday. Find Casa N.O.M Bar y Restaurante at 110 Greville St, Prahran. It's open from 5pm–midnight Tuesday–Friday, and from 12pm–midnight on Saturday and Sunday. Images: Griffin Simm
A ten-minute dance session for ten people at a time, held in a caravan. A future-focused art party featuring live performance, projection, visual art and music. A photo exhibition exploring the transformation of Australia's premier drag performers. Now that's how you mark three decades of celebrating Melbourne's LGBTIQA+ community and showering the city in queer arts and culture — and it's only the beginning of Midsumma Festival's 2017 lineup. Hitting the big three-oh is a spectacular affair and then some for the annual fest, complete with more than 130 events in the program. Keeping the impressive numbers going — and growing, as they have since Midsumma first kicked off in 1988 — the forthcoming iteration will also feature the work of over 1200 artists and culture creators in more than 70 venues and outdoor space, including hubs at Arts Centre Melbourne, Gasworks and The Hare Hole at Hares & Hyenas. As always, the annual Pride March through St Kilda proves one of the festival's must-attend highlights, alongside the fellow returning flagship event that is the Midsumma Carnival and T Dance. At the former, everyone will dance, strut, sing, catwalk, vogue, placard, drag and move together in a display of difference, acceptance and equality. At the latter, prepare to party all day and night, watch queer sports and even see a dog show, all at Alexandra Gardens. Other standouts include a showcase of portraits of LBTI women by photographer Lisa White, a new take on Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince by the folks behind Psycho Beach Party, a reimagined version of Fringe favourite dance piece HardQueer DeathPony, and UK drag stars Jonny Woo and Le Gateau Chocolat working their way through musical theatre hits such as Les Mis, The Lion King, Cabaret and Annie. Or, hear marriage equality activist and Queen of Ireland star Panti Bliss share her experiences, catch a comedy cabaret about how to be a wingman, enjoy the Cuddle Puddle (yes, it's exactly what it sounds like), pay tribute to Elizabeth Taylor, show off your interpretative dance skills and participate in the Muddy Gras obstacle course. It's going to be a fun and busy three weeks, that's for sure. Image: Coal Photography.
These days, we're all aware of the impact plastic shopping bags have on the environment, but what about another popular disposable item that everyone uses and no one thinks about? If you've enjoyed a cold beverage somewhere other than your home recently, odds are that you've probably sipped it through a straw (or you were given one). From now on, that won't be the case at Brisbane's Crowbar. Because little things can make a big difference, the Brunswick Street haunt has adopted a "say no to straws" policy and will no longer be serving them with their drinks unless specifically requested. "We are conscious of the environmental impact of plastic and are taking steps to reduce our footprint," the venue advised in a Facebook post announcing the new move. Further expanding upon Crowbar's plans in an interview with The Music, manager Tyla Dombroski explained that they're currently assessing biodegradable options for punters that can't kick their straw fix, and that their efforts won't stop there. If they can work with an organisation that focuses on marine or wildlife conservation, Crowbar would like to implement a donation-for-a-straw scheme. "Even though we're already cutting back our usage, we can also be giving back," said Dombroski. "And hopefully it makes more people think about their use of plastic in everyday life." Here's hoping that Crowbar's efforts also inspire other bars to follow suit — and other industries. Just two months ago, France passed legislation to ban all plastic plates, cups and cutlery from 2020; however Australian laws still haven't caught up with the single-use plastic bag backlash, with only Tasmania, South Australia, ACT and the NT banning them at present. Via The Music.
They can't all be good ones: Baz Luhrmann movies, that is, although almost all of them are. There's one outlier on his resume, though — one film that definitely doesn't live up to the others. That flick: Australia. Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby and Elvis are all spectacular. Despite combining two of the nation's biggest actors with one of its biggest filmmakers, 2008's Nicole Kidman- and Hugh Jackman-starring Australia definitely isn't. But if you ever wondered what it might look like with a bit of tinkering — actually, a lot of re-cutting and re-imagining — you're about to find out. Faraway Downs will be the end result, a six-part miniseries that's destined for streaming queues in the near future. It's set to drop in the US via Hulu sometime during America's winter, which means that it'll hit Disney+ Down Under — at around the same time, hopefully. "I originally set out to take the notion of the sweeping, Gone With the Wind-style epic and turn it on its head — a way of using romance and epic drama to shine a light on the roles of First Nations people and the painful scar in Australian history of the Stolen Generations," said Luhrmann in a statement, as per The Hollywood Reporter. "While Australia the film has its own life, there was another telling of this story; one with different layers, nuances and even alternative plot twists that an episodic format has allowed us to explore. Drawn from the same material, Faraway Downs is a new variation on Australia for audiences to discover." If you need a refresher on Australia's plot — and therefore Faraway Downs's plot, too — it follows English aristocrat Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman, The Northman) after she comes into possession of an Aussie cattle ranch. To save it from cattle barons, she enlists the help of a drover (Jackman, Reminiscence). That's just the overall gist, however, given that the sprawling movie also spans World War II and its impact, as well as the country's historical treatment of Indigenous Australians. Fittingly given the name — and as usually proves the case with Luhrmann's flicks — the cast includes a who's who of homegrown talent. As well as Kidman and Jackman, plus Brandon Walters (Mystery Road) as Nullah, everyone from Essie Davis (Nitram), Bryan Brown (Hungry Ghosts) and John Jarratt (Wolf Creek) to Ben Mendelsohn (Cyrano), Jack Thompson (High Ground) and David Wenham (Elvis) features, as does the now-late David Gulpilil (Storm Boy) and Bill Hunter (The Cup). Exactly how long each episode of Faraway Downs will run for hasn't yet been revealed — but at 165 minutes, the movie it's remixing wasn't short. Check out the original trailer for Australia below: Faraway Downs is due to hit Hulu in the US sometime in America's winter — and Disney+ Down Under. We'll update you with an exact date when it announced. Via The Hollywood Reporter.
One of the world's most acclaimed galleries is coming to Australia, and it's bringing more than 70 works that chronicle the past 200 years in art history with it. For a five-month season from mid-June, the UK's Tate will take over Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image with a hefty exhibition that'll span everything from painting, photography and sculpture through to drawing, kinetic art and installations — and, of course, the moving image. Given the time period covered by Light: Works from Tate's Collection, the list of artists that'll be on display is a varied one — as drawn from pieces in the Tate's four separate sites in Britain. Art lovers will be able to see works by famed English romantic painter and watercolourist Joseph Mallord William Turner alongside the light- and space-focused efforts of American artist James Turrell, plus pieces by impressionist Claude Monet and Japanese favourite Yayoi Kusama. Running from Thursday, June 16–Sunday, November 13, the unifying theme is light, as the exhibition's name makes plain — and if you're wondering how this connects to ACMI's remit as a museum for the moving image, light is obviously crucial to all recorded vision. While Light: Works from Tate's Collection will step through art history, ACMI will further put its pieces into broader artistic context by presenting it alongside its permanent The Story of the Moving Image exhibition, which examines the origins and genesis of film and television. From the impressive roster of art and artists, Turner's 1805 painting The Deluge will make its Australian debut, while Kusama's characteristically kaleidoscopic 2005 sculpture The Passing Winter gets viewers peering into a mirrored cube. Turrell's Raemar, Blue, from 1969, is an immersive spatial environment that surrounds visitors in infinite and immersive light. And among the other highlights sits paintings by John Constable, Wassily Kandinsky, Bridget Riley and Joseph Albers; more impressionist pieces from Camille Pissarro and Alfred Sisley; and rotating crystalline sculpture Stardust Particle by Olafur Eliasson. The ticketed exhibition will be accompanied by talks, performances, workshops and late-night events, as well as film screenings. Although the events lineup hasn't yet been revealed, masterclasses with cinematographers, artist discussions, and magic lantern and 16mm presentations will all be on the bill, as will two free exhibits — from Australian artist Mikala Dwyer in ACMI's lightwell and by Lis Rhodes in Gallery 3, with the latter's Light Music also coming from the Tate Collection. [caption id="attachment_858887" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raemar, Blue, 1969, James Turrell. Tate: Presented by the Tate Americas Foundation, partial purchase and partial gift of Doris J. Lockhart 2013. © James Turrell. Photo: Phoebe Powell[/caption] [caption id="attachment_858889" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Passing Winter, 2005, Yayoi Kusama. Tate: Purchased with funds provided by the Asia-Pacific Acquisitions Committee 2008. ©Yayoi Kusama. Tate. Photo: Phoebe Powell.[/caption] Top images: Installation view, 'Light: Works from Tate's Collection', showing at ACMI, 2022. Photos by Phoebe Powell.
Grazeland Director John Forman recently teamed up with El Taco's Neven Hayek and Sandrow Yalda to create two huge new Mexican bars and restaurants. The first of the two venues to open is Preston's Bar Mexico, a two-storey haven for agave-based tipples. Located within the former Northside Food Hall on the Preston end of High Street, the bar showcases over 50 tequilas, mezcals and raicillas sourced directly from distilleries across Mexico. Sure, you can shoot some of these shots with your mates, but they're best consumed like a fine wine. Take your time sipping on these agave-based bevs, exploring different regions of Mexico as you make your way through the list. But if straight tequila ain't your thing, you can always take your pick from the extensive cocktail menu. Get around classics like a marg or paloma, or change it up by sampling Bar Mexico's tequila espresso martini or tequila old fashioned. You'll also find Aussie and international beers on tap, plus an impressive selection of Mexican brews in bottles or cans. A handful of wines are also available, almost all by the glass, too. Siblings Hayek and Yalda are on food duties, and they're serving up El Taco's signature style of Mexican street eats. Start off with crowd favourites like jalapeño poppers, flautas and elote before getting onto the bigger bites like quesedilla, nachos and tacos — the crew's famed birria tacos are a must-order. If you're after a proper feast, go straight for the build-your-own taco platter. This massive serve comes with slow-cooked pulled beef and adobo-marinated chicken, as well as a heap of fillings and ten corn tortillas that you can fill however you like. It's family-style eating at its finest. You'll find Bar Mexico at 39 High Street, Preston, open from 5–10pm Wednesday, 5–11pm Thursday, from 4pm–late Fridays and from 12pm–late on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, visit the venue's website.
Melburnians have always liked cheese, but in recent years things have gotten serious. Dedicated fromageries have popped up across our fair city and we've enjoyed at least three dedicated cheese festivals in recent memory. Our stomachs are working overtime to digest all the lactose — and, honestly, we've never been happier. And the love affair continues with this latest cheesy announcement. France (or more specifically, a Parisian centre for cheese, which is a real thing) is bringing us Bon Fromage, a ten-day cheese festival celebrating European cheese. The whole thing will happen in a laneway behind Carlton's King and Godfree from the November 11. First and foremost is cheese — the venue will be transformed into a cheese marketplace and wine bar for two weekends, alongside pop-ups from Melbourne cheese royalty Shifty Chevre, Milk the Cow and Harper and Blohm. But the cheese festival isn't just about eating so much cheese you puke. Anthony Femia of Prahran Market's Maker and Monger and Johnny Di Francesco from 400 Gradi will be there too, holding masterclasses in, we assume, the correct way to draw a cheese fondue bath for yourself. The festival is supported by the European Union, presumably to get Australians on board with the European cheese industry. To us, this seems like a bit of a misfire because we're already very on board with cheese (from Europe or elsewhere), but whatever — we'll be there front and centre with our bibs on regardless. Bon Fromage: Festival of European Cheeses will run from Friday, November 11 until Sunday, November 20 in Faraday Lane, Carlton, behind King and Godfree. For more info, visit the Facebook event.
The past two years have delivered plenty of trends that no one loves, including supermarket shortages and traipsing around town trying to get tested for COVID-19. But here's one that's made our lives easier during the pandemic: the fast-tracking of big-name movies to streaming. Seeing a film on the silver screen hasn't been a straightforward experience over this chaotic time, and more and more flicks are quickly making the jump from cinemas to digital — including reaching the latter when they're still showing at the former. The latest is Dune, which looks downright glorious projected on the largest screen you can find, and definitely benefits from the kind of surround-sound setup you'll only get to listen to in a theatre, but is now also available to watch at home if that'll brighten up your January. One of our best films of 2021, the instant sci-fi classic is available to buy and rent via video on demand from Thursday, January 13, including from digital movie services such as Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Accordingly, if you've already sat down on your couch to watch Timothée Chalamet in Don't Look Up this summer, you can now back it up with another of his recent flicks. Or, there's your next double feature sorted. [caption id="attachment_774009" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo credit: Chiabella James. Copyright: © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] A spice-war space opera about feuding houses on far-flung planets, Dune has long been a pop-culture building block. Before Frank Herbert's 1965 novel was adapted into a wrongly reviled David Lynch-directed film — a gloriously 80s epic led by Kyle MacLachlan and laced with surreal touches — it unmistakably inspired Star Wars, and also cast a shadow over Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Game of Thrones has since taken cues from it. The Riddick franchise owes it a debt, too. The list goes on and, thanks to the new version bringing its sandy deserts to life, will only keep growing. As he did with Blade Runner 2049, writer/director Denis Villeneuve has once again grasped something already enormously influential, peered at it with astute eyes and built it anew — and created an instant sci-fi classic. This time, Villeneuve isn't asking viewers to ponder whether androids dream of electric sheep, but if humanity can ever overcome one of our worst urges and all that it brings. And, in his version of Dune, he's doing so with an exceptional cast that spans Chalamet (The French Dispatch), Oscar Isaac (The Card Counter), Rebecca Ferguson (Reminiscence), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame), Javier Bardem (Everybody Knows), Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home) and more. Dune tells of birthrights, prophesied messiahs, secret sisterhood sects that underpin the galaxy and phallic-looking giant sandworms, and of the primal lust for power that's as old as time — and, in Herbert's story, echoes well into the future's future. Its unpacking of dominance and command piles on colonial oppression, authoritarianism, greed, ecological calamity and religious fervour, like it is building a sandcastle out of power's nastiest ramifications. And, amid that weightiness — plus those spectacularly shot visuals and Hans Zimmer's throbbing score — it's also a tale of a moody teen with mind-control abilities struggling with what's expected versus what's right. Check out the trailer for Dune below: Dune is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream online via video on demand from Thursday, January 13 — including from Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Read our full review.
This Saturday, February 8, Melbourne Recital Centre is turning five and they're throwing you a pretty sweet party to celebrate. From 10am-6.30pm, this beautiful goliath will be opening its doors for a full day of performances, talks and tours. The vacant lot next door will even be converted into a multi-purpose space to relax in featuring food trucks, local bands and miniature horses for kids (or everyone) to play with. Both the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Chamber Orchestra will be filling up the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall alongside local folk, indie, and jazz outfits. The Salzer Suite will be the intellectual heart of the operation with lectures, Q&As and panels with the industry professionals such as Gillian Howell, Richard Mills, and Benjamin Woodroffe. Then, from 4.30pm Jonathon Welch will be directing a 1,200-person choir to bring the day to a grand and extravagant close. For more information and a full timetable of events, check the website.
It's one of the quintessential Melbourne experiences we're all sorely missing right now: a pint and a feed enjoyed IRL at your local. And while it might be a while before it's back on the menu properly, Parkville pub Naughtons Hotel is dishing up the next best thing with its new Pub in a Box. As the name suggests, the venue's packaged up all the best bits of a pub visit into one covetable care pack, available for delivery and click-and-collect. The contents change up each week, though always include some cracking pub dishes (vegetarian options are available, too), accompaniments, a trivia card and — if you're ordering the two-person box — a curation of booze. Recent editions have featured the likes of house-made peppered beef pies served with mash and gravy, fettuccine with an eggplant and chilli sugo, loaves of house-baked sourdough bread, bottles of wine and tinnies of local craft beer. A solo serve box will set you back $45, while the two-person version comes in at $135. There are plenty of add-ons available, too; from cheese packs to desserts, plus Naughtons' full online selection of beer, wine and bottled cocktails. Jump onto the website to check order cut-off details and to suss out this week's menu. [caption id="attachment_826064" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Emily Weaving[/caption] Images: Emily Weaving
Melburnians of a certain era will be more than familiar with the giant golden pheasant statue that once loomed large beside the Princes Highway, signalling the entrance to Gumbuya Park. While the bird is no more and the Tynong North site has had a name change and a revamp — and is now home to water, wildlife and theme park Gumbuya World — there's still plenty of nostalgia to go around. And there will be even more so later this year, when the park pulls together a lineup of musical heroes for its inaugural Gumbuya Sounds of Nature festival. Taking over the beloved venue for an evening of live tunes on Saturday, November 30, is a cast of deadset Aussie legends. Pop icon Daryl Braithwaite will be hitting the stage to belt out classics like 'As The Days Go By' and 'The Horses' and is joined on the bill by renowned rocker and former INXS lead singer Jon Stevens, chart-topping songstress Vanessa Amorosi and noughties favourites Thirsty Merc. Acclaimed guitarist Phil Ceberano will also be there, throwing down hits from across the late 20th century, while X-Factor Australia alum Reece Mastin takes the stage to show off his own new sound. You can nab a ticket for the general admission grass area from $93, with seated tickets starting from $116. While the music kicks off at 4.30pm, we suggest heading in earlier to explore the park and have a splash around.
If you'd like to pull up a seat and spend a couple of hours watching the best short films the world has to offer, you'll love Flickerfest Short Film Festival. Australia's most respected (and oldest) short film festival is celebrating 26 years and appearing at Kino Palace Cinemas from February 15-16. This year, the hardworking peeps behind the festival have watched over 2,400 entries from around the globe and whittled the options down to a select few that you can feast your eyes on. Australia's only Academy-accredited and BAFTA-recognised short film festival is the best spot to see the freshest and most innovative film talent from around the world. Among the full programme is Timecode — a Spanish film about a dancing security guard which has been nominated for an Academy Award. Other highlights include Messiah — starring David Gulpilil, a hapless Irishman and his Parisian girlfriend encounter a mischievous stranger in the Australian wilderness — and Crush — the story of a 16-year-old girl whose best friends are wanted for murder. On Wednesday February 15 it's the 'Windows on Europe' programme, featuring moving, award-winning shorts drawn from the European Union countries. On Thursday February 16 the 'Best of Melbourne' programme is on — a specially curated selection of shorts from Victorian filmmakers. The exclusive after-party gives you the chance to mingle with the next wave of Aussie filmmakers over catered food and drinks. After spending ten days at Bondi Beach in New South Wales, the festival has ventured on to a 52-date national tour, spreading the Flickerfest love Australia-wide.
A real life Willy Wonka has come to Melbourne. Catalan designer Martí Guixé has made a name for himself at the intersection of food, art and design, with works ranging from flavoured postage stamps to breathable cuisine. Now the so-called father of food design will present his first major Australian exhibition at NGV International, in the form of a colourful, custom-designed kitchen designed to teach kids and families about their attitudes to what they eat. Running from mid-June until mid-September, the free interactive exhibition, entitled Fake Food Park: Martí Guixé for Kids, will consist of "hands-on activities and digital design challenges" that encourage visitors to "sprout new ideas for food concepts and flavours" — and create their very own 'Fake Food Park' menu. The exhibition will also feature a selection of Guixé's drawings and illustrations as well as his famous fruit-and-vegetable wallpaper, which has previously been featured in galleries including MoMA, Design Museum London and the National Art Centre Tokyo. "We are delighted to bring the ground-breaking ideas of Martí Guixé to the NGV Kids exhibition space," said NGV director Tony Ellwood. "Guixé is a pioneer in his field; designing, innovating and challenging notions of how we eat in often whimsical and surprising ways... Fake Food Park will ask budding young designers to think about the future of food and reconsider familiar food items
Following the introduction of Nike+, the sporting giant has created its most technologically-savvy and personalised piece of performance measurement yet. The Nike FuelBand uses Nike Fuel, a new measurement system developed by the company. This allows you to measure your data such as steps, calories and distance throughout the day against other competitors of different body types and skill levels. You can also set goals for yourself and the band's screen will notify you if you have achieved them by changing from red to green. Perhaps the greatest tool of the Nike FuelBand is its ability to sync with iPhones via Bluetooth, where the information can then be shared through social media or explored in greater depth. The Nike FuelBand also has a built-in USB drive for computer access. At midnight, the FuelBand resets itself so that all your daily information is kept succinct. Technology is now playing a pivotal role in fitness, where data is now becoming more in-depth and accessible for athletes. Such technology offers much more than standard pedometers, and Nike Vice President of Digital Sport Stefan Olander believes that this has a tremendous psychological benefit for those wanting to keep in shape. He states that Nike are attempting to allow customers to "make it really easy to level something — give yourself a goal, but then allow yourself to adjust that all the time to what you want to do." The Nike FuelBand is now avaliable for preorder in the United States, with plans to become avaliable in Europe in mid-2012. This idea of data-collection and goal-setting for fitness has been explored by other products such as the Jawbone UP, a similar wristband that also comes with an app. However, the Nike FuelBand has built upon what was criticised as one of UP's major flaws - an inability to transfer data via Bluetooth because of battery life issues. Therefore, transferring such data from the UP became much more intrusive on daily routines. In any case, the development of such devices have seen technology become a double-edged sword within modern society. On one hand, the increasing dependence on computers and iPhones have been blamed for tragic obesity levels, yet such technology can also be used as a great motivational and measuring tool for physical exercise. Certainly, we are far removed from the days where an Mp3 player was only used to blast uptempo techno music while running on the treadmill. Nike FuelBand https://youtube.com/watch?v=-eAjsFl22HM [via CoolHunting]
Playground Weekender is, for the uninitiated, a four-day extravaganza in arguably the most gorgeous festival location near Sydney, Del Rio's Riverside Resort on the Hawkesbury. We're talking lush green bush land, a sparkly river and all the trimmings of a 'Riverside Resort' - nine hole golf courses, tennis courts, riverside chalets and kangaroos that serve you cocktails. Add yoga, the Club Tropicana (!) swimming pool, cabaret, cinema, a beauty salon and a 24 hour general store, and there's little wonder if features very near the top of our list of favourite festivals. Now back for its sixth year with a cavalcade of amazing artists and things to do, the 2012 edition will feature performances by artists such as Chic ft. Nile Rodgers, Boy and Bear, Roots Manuva, Black Lips, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Unkle Sounds, Shapeshifters and Lanie Lane. If you need a break in between shows go and visit the Village Green, home to an array of food stalls, stand up comedy, and a beer and cider garden. Or, if you prefer, do a session of yoga and have a massage in a teepee. Playground Weekender takes place from March 2-5 at Del Rio Riverside Resort, Wiseman's Ferry. Want to get your hands on a four-day double pass? To win, simply subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already), then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au. Entries close at 5pm on February 29, 2012. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Z5ExV8ABNNU
