Tucked beneath Melbourne CBD's Evan Walker Bridge, Ponyfish Island is often considered the city's original on-river bar. Taking over an ice cream kiosk back in 2010, the spot was initially conceived as a creative summer pop-up. Now on the eve of its 15th anniversary, the bustling venue is gearing up to celebrate its success, hosting a three-day Birthday Weekender from Friday, November 28–Sunday, November 30. To kick things off, Ponyfish is leaning into its origins. With the venue partly named after the crayon creature that appears in Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Academy Award-winning creative Leo Baker has created two installations just for the occasion. That includes a permanent Life Aquatic-inspired DJ console shaped after the captain's control panel, and a mini submarine that will spend the summer suspended beneath Ponyfish's overhead bridge. As for the weekend's entertainment, expect DJs to ring in the milestone from 7pm–late each day, with the likes of Edd Fisher, No Era and Cooper Smith joined by Ponyfish owners Grant Smillie (a two-time ARIA Award winner, no less) and Andrew Mackinnon. Of course, an unforgettable birthday bash also needs solid discounts to match; Ponyfish isn't skipping a beat with $15 cocktails and pizzas throughout the weekend. And if you hear the bell ring, you've just scored a shout at the bar. Meanwhile, Ponyfish will also unveil a brand-new nautical look and debut fresh uniforms inspired by the aforementioned movie's whimsical seafaring spirit. "Turning 15 felt like the perfect excuse to dial everything up — the music, the menu, the uniforms, the whole experience," says Smillie. "Ponyfish has always been about fun, and this weekend is really a thank you to Melbourne for embracing this quirky little spot in the middle of the river." Images: Michael Pham.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations, giving you inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we turn our eyes to the holiday hit of Bali, specifically Hotel Komune Resort and Beach Club on the Keramas coastline. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Bali's legendary sunshine and tropical conditions have cemented it as a standout holiday destination, and its practically un-Australian if you haven't visited at least once. But that popularity can cause a bit of a crowding issue, especially in southwestern tourist hotspots like Kuta or Denpasar. Further east is Keramas, a quieter coastal town that calls this resort home. Hotel Komune has a few outposts around the world, but this one draws a crowd with its adjacency to the black sand beach and epic surf conditions. If you're an avid surfer or someone who just loves being close to the water, this should be at the top of your list for your next Bali stay. If you book through our exclusive deal before Wednesday, December 20, you can get a serious discount on a three- five- or seven-night stay in Hotel Komune. THE ROOMS Hotel Komune's rooms are split between four choices. Beachfront Suites (pictured above) feature stunning views of the Lombok Strait and the renowned Keramas surf break plus private pools, waterfall showers and deep soak tubs (and the iconic Bali floating breakfast). Beach Villas offer similar features in a spacious but private one- or two-bedroom layout, perfect for romantic holidays or small families. Komune Suites are designed for a similar level of space as a more budget-friendly pick with a similar amount of space, and Resort Rooms are your standard accommodation if you're more interested in getting out and exploring Keramas. FOOD AND DRINK Tropical holidays are synonymous with good food and cold drinks, either very close to the water or surrounded by plant life. Here at Hotel Komune you can have it both ways. The resort offers three on-site food and drinks choices, the Beach Club, Health Hub and the Surfers Warung. The Beach Club is the primary pick, situated in sight of the surf break and surrounded by organic gardens and 180 square metres of lawns. The menu covers all meals of the day and drinks (including a very generous juice selection and room service juice cleanses) and a huge range of food to satisfy any craving. The aptly named Health Hub specialises in nutritional serves for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a traditional dining setting or poolside food service in an adults-only pool. There's also a 100% plant-based menu and all food is sourced from either the hotel's own gardens or local farmers. Finally, there's the Surf Warung, a traditional hangout for pre- and post-surfing snacks and drinks that predates the resort and sits right on the beach. The food there is all traditional Balinese style and after dark the space also becomes a buzzing rum bar. [caption id="attachment_912047" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Nurture via iStock[/caption] THE LOCAL AREA Keramas is mostly known for its surf break, a heavy right hander that breaks onto a shallow reef, if you know your surfing jargon. The beach itself is ideal for a quiet stroll, the area is generally a bit quieter as most of the local coastline is backed by fields, stretching out to 1.8 kilometres from end to end, but sadly the beach is less suitable for swimming thanks to the consistent heavy surf. Beyond the beach, a brief trip inland takes you to the village of Keramas. Here you can eat, shop, explore and visit attractions like Keramas Park, an outdoor venue with dining and activities like ATV rides, paintball and a small water park. Up the coast is the Bali Safari and Marine Park, which hosts a range of Asiatic animals and up-close feeding and safari experiences. THE EXTRAS Hotel Komune offers itself up as a choice venue for events, with packages available for weddings and fitness/yoga retreats to be hosted on the beautiful coastal property, or if you're looking for a personal holiday, remember you can book a discounted three, five or seven-night stay through our exclusive package on Concrete Playground Trips if you book before Wednesday, December 20, 2023. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Images: Hotel Komune Resort and Beach Club
A CBD joint that provides those living room vibes when your own home is too full of empty pizza boxes and you need to clear the grey matter from your brain. Venture down a street (Little Lonsdale) and scurry down a lane (Hardware) and hop up a level (one) to La La Land, where a lavishness of brown Chesterfield-style couches awaits. Inside this neighbourhood haunt, the Brooklyn warehouse-esque windows provide the light, and around you, a motley of suits, casuals and dates are a spatter. A good place to bring a mate or just a book for a boozy read. The drinks menu is vast and colourful, with beers available on tap and in the fridge by the pint or jug. Wines cover every end of the spectrum, with red, white, rosé and sparkling varietals from Australia and France all appearing. Cocktails come in signature and classic forms. The former includes Bounty, which recreates the chocolate bar we all know and some of us love, with 1800 Coconut and Joseph Carton Creme de Cacao, and Who Shot Tom Collins, which sells itself as a Bloody Shiraz spin on the classic. There are also some nifty drink specials for the thrifty, with beers and wines for $6 and spirits prices down to $15 from 4–6pm. Better yet, between 6 and 7pm, you can get two classic cocktails for just $30. Settle in, order a grazing board and enjoy the space however you please. Images: Kristoffer Paulsen.
These days, most of the Melbourne restaurant, bar and cafe openings we hear about come from hospitality groups with plenty of financial backing, with few independent business owners having a crack at it themselves. That's why we were thrilled to hear about Casa Mariotti, a new family-run 110-person Italian wine bar and restaurant that brothers Guido and Guiacomo Guerrieri have just opened. Giacomo is heading up the kitchen here, creating a menu that's both inspired by his nonna's family recipes and his 20-plus years of experience working in Roman restaurants. You can kick off proceedings with supplì 'al telefono' (traditional Roman rice balls), a small deep-fried sandwich stuffed with anchovies and mozzarella, breaded buffalo mozzarella, olive pate with anchovies and garlic, and plenty of other antipasti bites — all great for sipping and snacking. There's certainly a focus on smaller dishes here, as Casa Mariotti leans more toward wine bar territory than a full-blown restaurant. Nonetheless, the handful of larger eats — including a few handmade pastas, sugos and polenta dishes — will more than satisfy hungry diners in need of a proper feed. Unsurprisingly, wines are given a great deal of attention here, with the team splitting the menu into two sections — wines made in Italy with native grapes and Australian-made wines using Italian-origin grapes. These are supported by a tight list of Italian cocktails (both done classically and with some twists), local beers, spirits and the obligatory aperitifs. To celebrate the opening (in true Italian style), the Casa Mariotti is also serving up a traditional aperitivo every day from 4-6pm, where guests can enjoy a selection of wine, beer and cocktails starting at $9 a pop alongside complimentary snacks — think bruschetta al pomodoro, lupin and seasonal frittata. Be sure to score these complimentary bites ASAP, as the deal won't be around for too long. You'll find Casa Mariotti at 258 Swan Street, Richmond, open from Wednesday–Sunday. For more information, you can visit the venue's website. Images: Jack Carlin.
Those currently working from home have probably seen two major changes to their routine: less shoes and more snacks. To help with the latter, Australia's much-loved biscuit maker Arnott's is opening its vault and releasing some of its coveted recipes — for the first time in history. For weeks one and two of the snack expert's Big Recipe Release it unveiled its Monte Carlo and four-ingredient Scotch Finger recipes. Next up is a much-loved childhood-favourite: the Iced VoVo. Topped with pink fondant, raspberry jam and coconut, it's a little like Arnott's answer to the lamington. This recipe has been adapted for home bakers by Arnott's Master Baker Vanessa Horton, who suggests creating love heart shaped bikkies for mum — but, honestly, you can create whatever shape you like. Have a dinosaur shaped cookie cutter? Go wild. None at all? You can just cut them into squares. As you'd expect, you do, in fact, need flour to make Iced VoVos, but we've rounded up some of the spots selling the essential ingredient across the country, which aren't supermarkets. Australia's oldest baker will continue to release a new recipe for one of its famous biscuits every week until social distancing regulations are lifted. Next up, will it be the Tim Tam? Mint Slice? Pizza Shapes? We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, though, here's the Iced VoVo recipe: ARNOTT'S ICED VOVO 180 grams unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup (75 grams) soft icing sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups (300 grams) plain flour Royal Icing 1 large egg white 1 1/2 cups (200 grams) icing sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon glucose syrup 1-2 drops pillar box red colouring 1/2 cup raspberry jam 1/2 cup desiccated coconut Heart-shaped cutter (optional) Piping bag and nozzle (optional) Method Pre-heat fan-forced oven to 160°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, icing sugar, and salt for two minutes or until pale and creamy. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Place half the mixture between baking paper and roll out to approximately five millimetre thickness. Using a six centimetre heart shaped cutter, cut out biscuits, transfer to baking sheets. Repeat rolling and cutting heart shapes with remaining mixture, rerolling scrap dough to make more hearts. Bake for 16–18 minutes or when biscuits start to turn golden. Leave on the tray to cool. Royal icing Place egg white in a clean mixing bowl and mix on low speed with the whisk attachment until the whites begin to break up. Gradually add the icing sugar, vanilla and glucose, whisking until combined and glossy. If the mixture is too stiff add a teaspoon of water to loosen it up but ensure it isn't too runny as it will slide off the biscuit. It should form a smooth surface. Add your colour and stir until combined. Cover surface of icing with cling wrap until ready to use to prevent the icing going hard. Place a small round tip (we used a no. 2 nozzle) and fill your piping bag 1/3 full of icing. Don't overfill your bag. Fill another piping bag with raspberry jam. Pipe a jam strip down the centre of the heart biscuit and pipe pink icing around the edges before filling in the remainder of the heart with icing. Sprinkle with coconut. Place iced biscuits in a single layer of an airtight container to set overnight. Tips Be very light handed when adding your colour to ensure a soft pink colour. If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a snap lock bag and snip the corner off. Biscuits can be made into any shape, including the traditional rectangle.
Tasmania might get a little dark and stormy throughout winter, but the occasional blustery conditions mean that there's an even greater focus on spending quality time with your favourite people. That good-natured spirit is particularly apparent in the state's selection of breweries — places that'll keep you and your loved ones warm and cosy, and immediately charm your souls. From waterfront industrial-chic breweries to farms that roll over the hillsides, Tasmania's brewhouses make the most of their wealth of ingredients by creating elegant drinks that travellers will want to keep sipping. So we've tracked down five perfect spots that will not only have you revelling in the winter climes but also enjoying some fantastic beers along the way. Embrace the wild weather and start planning your midwinter Tassie escape. [caption id="attachment_718803" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chris Crerar.[/caption] SAINT JOHN CRAFT BEER Craft beer bars might seem a dime a dozen these days, but Saint John Craft Beer would enhance any city's beer drinking scene. And when it comes to finding a toasty spot to escape Launceston's wintery streets and enjoy a lively evening with friends, there's no better spot than here. The cooler months are the perfect time to pay Saint John a visit, with a number of stouts usually featuring among the bar's tap list — offering beer-lovers a chance to sample some devilishly dark brews from local, mainland and international producers. Plus, you'll find great burgers and snacks to match, all thanks to a permanent food van serving in the spacious rear outdoor section. [caption id="attachment_718802" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hobart Brewing Co.[/caption] HOBART BREWING CO Inspired by Hobart's lengthy history of brewing, the Hobart Brewing Co set out to create a venue that welcomes beer obsessives with open arms while pouring a selection of spectacular drinks made on-site. And it's safe to say that it has achieved this goal, with the brewery ranking among Hobart's premier bars — and drawing visitors in from the cold in the droves. Set across the harbour from Salamanca Place, this industrial waterfront warehouse is an ace place to delve into a great selection of drinks, including a few nifty partnerships with other local brewers. Also on offer? Regular food trucks and live music, plus a fire pit to warm yourself by as you settle in for a few quality brews. [caption id="attachment_718485" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Two Metre Tall.[/caption] TWO METRE TALL Take a 45-minute drive from Hobart and you'll arrive at the sprawling fields of the Two Metre Tall brewery. Tucked away in the Derwent Valley, this 580-hectare property produces some of the finest farmhouse ales and ciders anywhere in Tasmania, using a production process that combines mixed and wild fermentation — which gives its brews some truly spectacular flavours. Spread out across plenty of lawn, the brewery encourages you to bring your friends, your blankets (for both sitting and rugging up) and a well-stocked picnic basket. Park yourself by one of the many onsite barbecues (there are even woodfired options) and start cooking — it's an excellent way to keep warm and toasty, too. All you've gotta do next is grab a hand-pumped tipple to perfect your luncheon. [caption id="attachment_718801" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bruny Island Cheese and Beer Co.[/caption] BRUNY ISLAND CHEESE AND BEER CO The Bruny Island Cheese Co has been around for years, specialising in artisan and small-batch cheeses. But when owner Nick Haddow met brewer Evan Hunter, they decided to combine their renowned talents. We're certainly glad that they did because the Bruny Island Cheese and Beer Co now provides visitors with quite the range of culinary pleasures — of the edible and drinkable kind. Made with Tasmanian-grown hops and grains from neighbouring farms on the island, the beers on offer here set a very high standard. Plus, each brew is created with a sustainable mindset. All wastage is recycled and put back into the farm, whether that be wastewater being treated then used as irrigation water or beer and cheese byproducts becoming feed for the pigs at a nearby farm. For a drop that'll warm you from the inside out, opt for the hearty whey stout, made with lactose from organic cow's milk whey leftover from cheesemaking. It's a sweet, textured beverage and pairs very well with a wedge of Saint: a ooey, gooey surface-ripened soft cheese. [caption id="attachment_717038" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shambles Brewery.[/caption] SHAMBLES BREWERY Since opening in 2016, Shambles Brewery has become one of the best spots to get a beer on the North Hobart strip. This large-scale chic warehouse space has been transformed into a beer drinker's utopia, featuring everything you could want — from a huge open beer hall to a roaring fire pit to concrete table tennis tables that even withstand the chilliest of winter days. Serving Tasmanian wine, cider and spirits, the Shambles Brewery's line-up of beer packs quite the punch with an offering that includes experimental pale ales, American IPA and even a robust porter that has hints of chocolate and coffee. And as for the food, it's perfectly suited for winter; think 12-hour lamb ribs, six types of burger, brisket tacos and crispy fried chicken. Top image: Saint John Craft Beer by Chris Crerar.
Dead Man Espresso, located on what used to be Canvas Town, an old settlement plot in the 1850s, embodies some of that battler attitude. While they don't have to sleep under the stars, the team here believe that, like settlers, they've built something great, and are proud of it. And great it is. Dead Man Espresso is one of those places that keeps you coming back. There's great coffee from Seven Seeds and Market Lane and beautiful, simple food that is sourced locally where they can. They use Warialda Beef, Istra Smallgoods and Hook & Spoon Mutton. They keep things even closer to home when they use herbs from their roof top garden and honey from their rooftop beehive. The space, with sharp angles and interesting design features, still manages warm, light and inviting. The tiny balcony is quiet and enclosed, and definitely a spot you want to nab on a sunny day. The ever-changing menu is fresh and seasonally driven. You might see avocado on Zeally Bay organic toast with chevre, grapefruit, toasted almonds and radish salad ($17) or potato and leek hash with Istra pancetta, green tomato, a fried egg and lemon sour cream ($18.50). If you're in the mood for a sugar hit, try the hot cakes with banana cream custard, maple caramel and cinnamon crunch ($14) — dessert for breakfast is always a good idea. Keep an eye out for the specials board, which might be a leek, bacon and Gruyere omelette topped with microherbs and served with Zeally Bay sourdough or — if you're lucky — ginger ale poached pears with baked ricotta, granola and dulce de leche. There is a cabinet of tempting treats like chocolate brownies and banana chocolate caramel cupcakes if you're in the mood for an order-and-dash kind of afternoon. Rotating baguettes are also available for takeaway. Alive and kicking in a quiet pocket of South Melbourne, Dead Man makes the working week just that little bit more bearable. Image courtesy of Dead Man Espresso
If you're looking for a drinks-forward way to get involved in Melbourne Food and Wine Festival 2026, this inter-city collab is one for the martini lovers. Featuring the head-spinning combination of recently opened it-restaurant Daphne and Sydney-based cocktail savants, Bar Planet, guests can expect a one-night celebration dedicated to all things gin, vermouth and olives. Held at Daphne — Hannah Green's new neighbourly Brunswick East restaurant — two seatings take place from 5–8pm and 8pm-midnight on Monday, March 23. Priced at $150 per person, the main event is the Three Martini Dinner, featuring a generous three-course feast paired with a boozy martini trifecta. Yet this experience isn't just a sit-down affair. Daphne's front bar will also be pumping, with all-comers invited to wander through the doors to experience a collaborative cocktail menu. This is your chance to sip the Sydneysiders' classic martini, as well as their much-loved Sunbeam — a citrusy mix featuring gin, bergamot-cello, fresh lime and parsley. Not to be outdone, Daphne is also offering a pair of martini cocktails, including the Dirty Daphne and a one-off 50/50 martini, elevated with chilli and lime leaf oils. With snacks served throughout the evening, Bar Planet is also contributing bags of its beloved popcorn. Think your favourite cinema snack made even more irresistible with curry powder, salt, sugar and MSG.
Aspiring artists and functioning alcoholics will both feel right at home in this brand new BYO art studio in Collingwood. Located on Smith Street, Cork & Chroma is a 'paint and sip' studio that embraces one of life's universal truths: everyone is more creative when they've had a little bit to drink. Open evenings Wednesdays through Saturdays as well as Sunday afternoon, the studio is run by artist Hillary Wall along with her husband B.J. A visit costs $60 for a three-hour session, during which time an artist will run you through the basics of acrylics on canvas, before you're let lose to create a masterpiece of your own. Each class is themed — Parisian strolls, the faces of Frida Kahlo, and Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night are some of the sessions already on offer — and they also host private functions and parties, if you're looking to make a mess with your friends. Cork & Chroma started out in Brisbane, then made the jump to Sydney in 2016. Melbourne attendees can look forward to "a place where you can savour a wine and play with paint," explains Hillary. "We know that creativity and fun go hand in hand. And we think that the more fun you're having, the more creative you'll allow yourself to be." Canvas, paints, brushes, easels and glassware all come provided, while they also have a selection of nibbles for purchase, including cheese, olives, chilli spiced nuts and chocolate brownies. All you need to bring is the liquid inspiration. Find Cork and Chroma at 36 Smith Street, Collingwood from late October. Bookings are now available for classes from October 25 onwards — for more information. visit www.corkandchroma.com.au. By Tom Clift and Sarah Ward.
You've got a new reason to venture into the backstreets of South Melbourne this spring, as the ever-evolving, multi-faceted Half Acre opens its doors to the public. Named after the impressive size of the inner-city block of land it calls home, the new venue sits in the site of a former mill. Here, hospitality veterans Adam Wright-Smith (ex-Fat Radish, Silkstone NYC), Leigh Worcester and Asaf Smoli (of catering company food&desire) have transformed an unloved industrial site into an inviting assembly of indoor and outdoor spaces, that we're forecasting will get a serious workout in the months to come. Across its two buildings, it has an events space, bar and all-day eatery — and it's a design-lover's dream. Modern design blends effortlessly with nods to the past, exposed brick and reclaimed timber complemented by contemporary finishes, including handmade light fittings by the likes of Henry Wilson and Anna Charlesworth. A lofty events space breathes new life into the former mill, all stained timber ceilings and exposed beams, linking through to an open courtyard and the intimate front bar. Considering it's in South Melbourne, inside, it feel surprisingly secluded. At the site's heart, a greenhouse-inspired space holds the open kitchen and restaurant, where Head Chef Eitan Doron is turning out a share-friendly offering that slips easily from lunchtime to night. Expect fare that's approachable, yet elegant, in dishes like whole roasted cauliflower with dukkah and tahini, roasted pumpkin flavoured with blood orange and thyme, grilled king prawns with harissa oil, and a vanilla flan teamed with elderflower jam and almond tuile. A range of pizzas and house-made breads sail from the custom wood-fire oven, and you can watch (and smell) it all being baked from the comfort of your table. Half Acre is no open at 112 Munro Street, South Melbourne. It's open for good times Wednesday and Thursday nights, and from lunchtime through to late-night every Friday through Sunday. Imagery: Tom Ross
Crossing acclaimed restaurants off your dining bucket list is a little easier when they're within touching distance of the city. But one that some have yet to check off is Wickens at Royal Mail Hotel — a lauded two-hatted restaurant situated in Dunkeld at the foothills of the Grampians National Park. However, scratch any plans you had to head west, as the Royal Mail Hotel is coming to town to host a special winter dining series at the Rippon Lea Estate. Transforming its grand ballroom into an intimate fine-dining destination across four July and two August dates, Executive Chef Robin Wickens is bringing all his garden-to-plate ideas to the table for this three-hour experience. Featuring produce harvested directly from the Royal Mail Hotel's abundant organic kitchen garden, each multi-course menu will honour the richness of the Grampians' winter cuisine. Think slow-grown root vegetables, fragrant brassicas, cool-climate citrus and bitter herbs. Prepared with a minimalist approach, Wickens and his team let the ingredients speak for themselves. Not to be overlooked — it's one of Victoria's finest estates after all — guests will also receive a Rippon Lea-inspired cocktail or mocktail on arrival, with curated beverage pairings available. "This is about bringing the essence of what makes Royal Mail Hotel special — our connection to place, season and exceptional produce — to Melbourne diners who might never make the journey to Dunkeld," says Wickens. Images: Emily Weaving / Kristoffer Paulsen.
When a TV show or movie hits the screen adapted from the pages of a novel, maybe you're the kind of person who just has to read the book before watching. Perhaps you prefer the opposite, soaking in every minute of the series or film afresh with no knowledge of what's to come, then devouring the source material to spending more time in its world and fill in the details. Whichever best describes your style of page-to-screen fandom, you're welcome at a new Australian event that's all about streaming hits that started as novels. In fact, it's Prime Video's very own book club. You might've noticed that plenty of the streaming platform's recent fare began on the page. It's true of The Summer I Turned Pretty, which is about to drop its third and final season — and of the Culpable trilogy and also We Were Liars, for instance. So, the service is celebrating that fact in Sydney, putting on Prime Book Club LIVE with a number of authors and actors connected to its lineup as guests. The last season of The Summer I Turned Pretty begins on Wednesday, July 16, with the streamer's most-successful original series releasing episodes through until Wednesday, September 17. So, author Jenny Han — who not only penned the books The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer that the show is based on and is the series' showrunner, but also wrote the To All The Boys I've Loved Before trilogy — will be in attendance. Stars Lola Tung and Rain Spencer (Test Screening) will also be there. Ahead of Culpa Nuestra (Our Fault), the third and final Culpable trilogy flick after films Culpa Mia (My Fault) and Culpa Tuya (Your Fault), reaching Prime Video in October, author Mercedes Ron will also get chatting in the Harbour City. Taking place from 5pm on Thursday, July 31, 2025 at Machine Hall in Sydney, Prime Book Club LIVE will boast Lucinda 'Froomes' Price as its host, feature a #BookTok panel, and sport an immersive setup spanning interactive experiences, giveaways and more. The event will also cover We Were Liars — which has an Australian connection thanks to Invisible Boys talent and future The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping star Joseph Zada — and others that fit the page-to-screen mould, including upcoming book-to-screen titles. Attendance is free, but you'll either need to register for a ticket in advance from 12pm AEST on Monday, July 14 or try your luck for one of the limited seats that'll be available on the day. "Prime Book Club LIVE celebrates our prolific book-to-screen storytelling and is a chance for our customers and fans to engage with Prime Video's series and films, and hear directly from talent about how these stories were brought to the screen. We're thrilled to have Jenny Han, Lola Tung, Rain Spencer and Mercedes Ron join us in Sydney for this exciting event," said Hwei Loke, head of Prime Video Australia and New Zealand. Prime Book Club LIVE takes place at 5pm on Thursday, July 31, 2025 at Machine Hall, 185 Clarence Street, Sydney, with free tickets available from 12pm AEST on Monday, July 14 and limited seats available on the day. The Summer I Turned Pretty images: Erika Doss © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC / Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Prime Video.
Start clicking your fingers: come August 2025, Tim Burton's (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) TV dive into the world of the Addams Family will be back, with Netflix dropping the first half of Wednesday's second season. The streaming platform has been teasing what's next in this creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky realm for over a year, including via new cast announcements and an initial sneak peek. For more of what's in store, the show's full season two trailer has just dropped — along with news of an upcoming Wednesday experience Down Under. In the latest glimpse at the series' second season, its namesake (Jenna Ortega, Death of a Unicorn) is back at Nevermore Academy and being heralded as a hero thanks to her efforts in season one. Wednesday is characteristically unimpressed by the attention. Soon, her focus is elsewhere, however, thanks to a premonition of her roommate Enid (Emma Myers, A Minecraft Movie) coming to a grave end, with Wednesday determined to do whatever she can to stop that from happening. The show is releasing season two in two batches. Part one arrives on Wednesday, August 6, then part two on Wednesday, September 3. Another date for the diary: Saturday, August 16, which is when Wednesday Island will temporarily become a part of Sydney's landscape. More details are to come, and soon — the timer on the pop-up's website is counting down to 12am on Friday, July 11, 2025. For now, Netflix has revealed that the Wednesday cast are heading to Australia as part of a worldwide promotional tour, and that Cockatoo Island / Wareamah in Sydney Harbour will be transformed into a Wednesday haven. Think: experiences that'll make you feel like you're at Nevermore, other activations, performances and more. Back to the new season: Joanna Lumley (Amandaland), Steve Buscemi (The Studio), Billie Piper (Kaos) and Thandiwe Newton (Mufasa: The Lion King) are among the series' new cast additions, some of whom can be seen in its full trailer. Season two also features more of Catherine Zeta-Jones (National Treasure: Edge of History) as Morticia, Luis Guzmán (Justified: City Primeval) as Gomez, Isaac Ordonez (Color Box) as Pugsley and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo (Dreamers) as Deputy Ritchie Santiago, all getting meatier parts than in season one. Among its new cast members, Evie Templeton (Criminal Record), Owen Painter (Tiny Beautiful Things), Noah B Taylor (Law & Order: Organised Crime), Frances O'Connor (The Twelve), Haley Joel Osment (Blink Twice), Heather Matarazzo (Paint) and Joonas Suotamo (The Acolyte) are also onboard — plus Christopher Lloyd (Hacks), following Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets) among the stars of the 90s Addams Family films popping up in Wednesday. Fred Armisen (Fallout) remains Wednesday's take on Uncle Fester, though — one that Netflix is so keen on that there's been talk of a spinoff about the character. Check out the full trailer for Wednesday season two below: Wednesday season two arrives in two parts, with part one dropping on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 and part two on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, both via Netflix. Read our full review of Wednesday season one. For more information about Wednesday Island, which is taking over Cockatoo Island in Sydney on Saturday, August 16, keep an eye on the pop-up's website — and we'll provide more details when they're announced. Images: Helen Sloan and Jonathan Hession/Netflix © 2025.
Long gone are the days we considered rum to be the drink of pirates and general scallywags. This delightful liquid originating from sugarcane byproducts is the key ingredient for many of beloved cocktails, from mojitos to dark and stormys to the life-threatening zombie. Tiki bars, rum dens and our favourite cocktail destinations of Melbourne are all embracing the fun that comes with rum this autumn, and we couldn’t be happier. Here are our top picks for Melbourne’s best rum bars and the cocktails to drink in them. JUNGLE BOY Hiding out behind the cool room door of Boston Sub is the expertly hidden tiki bar Jungle Boy. If you’re in the mood for something tropical, we suggest their Salted Rum Flip, made with Appleton Estate 20yo, Pedro Ximinez, Campari, Bitter Truth Creole bitters, castor sugar, a whole egg and a pinch of Murray River pink salt and a garnish of grated nutmeg. THE RUM DIARY We couldn’t very well compile this list without something from Brunswick Street’s rum stalwart now could we? Try their Millionaire cocktail, made with apricot and anise infused Appleton Estate 8yo, mixed with Hayman's sloe gin, lime and grenadine. The Millionaire was originally published in Harry Craddock’s 1930 Savoy Cocktail book, but the good folk at the Rum Diary have substituted Apricot brandy with their very own house-infused apricot rum. Worth every penny. THE LUWOW Melbourne’s original tiki bar The LuWow is all about the Hawaiian shirts and hula dancers and is an undeniable bundle of fun. We can’t go past the King Mai Tai, served in a LuWow tiki mug you get to take home. Light and dark rums, including the ever popular Appleton Estate, are combined with lime orgeat and Joseph Cartron triple sec. In other great news for rum fans, Wednesday night is half-priced rum night and rum tastings are also on offer. Cheers to that! THE BEAUFORT Ahoy there! A nautical dive bar would have to be the most appropriate place to indulge in a rum cocktail, and the Beaufort’s take on the Dark 'n' Stormy is by far one of their bestsellers. Delicious dark rum meets freshly squeezed lime juice, fresh ginger syrup and two dashes of cocktail bitters. Top it up with a fiery ginger beer, garnish with a lime wedge, fill the glass with ice and your thirst is instantly quenched. EDV MELBOURNE Get your night off to a great start with some Pre-Dinner Moves. No, we’re not talking about throwing out your best pick-up lines early to your Saturday night date, we’re talking about our favourite EDV aperitivo. Rum meets Campari, lemon and cucumber, which is then carbonated. For those who find it difficult to make up their minds, this cocktail is sweet, sour, dry, bitter and aromatic. There, something for everyone. LOOP ROOF There’s nothing like kicking back on one of Melbourne’s rooftop bars during the hotter months, and Loop Roof has the goods to cure what ails you. We are strong believers in that sharing is caring, so split a Punters Punch between four or more of you, a perfect creation for lovers of Mai Tais. Rum, Green Chartreuse and pink grapefruit juice is freshened up with mint leaves to leave your tastebuds tingling. MISTY The good-natured Misty is brilliant for a cheeky cocktail before a gig at the Forum any night of the week (except Sundays. Everyone’s got to have a day off sometime). For something of the rum variety, give the Sorry Miss Jackson a run, with 666 butter vodka, rum, Antica Formula, smoked maple syrup, vanilla bitters and lemon. Nothing to be sorry for here, folks. BAR ECONOMICO Matthew Bax, of Der Raum and Bar Americano fame, celebrates his undeniable love for rum at Bar Economico. Their cocktail menu is on constant rotation, offering up to six rum cocktails per night, and the drinks are inspired by Der Raum classics. Their award-winning mojitos are thankfully always on offer, and if you drop in during happy hour you can snag yourself one for a tenner. BLACK PEARL Consistently pleasing crowds with both their inventive cocktails and excellent service, Black Pearl is a place that never disappoints. For a bit of flaming fun with rum, a Zombie is always a good option, with its potent yet delectable combination of various rums, brandy and fruit juices. To hell with it, just ask these guys for something with Appleton Estate rum and they’ll come back to you with your new favourite drink.
Situated opposite Parliament and alongside the theatre strip, City Wine Shop is not the place to venture for a beer and happy hour special. On the contrary, this is the place you go for a glass of Chablis, cheese board and a serve of fried artichokes — or even some fine caviar and champagne. Choose from the by-the-glass wine list — which changes regularly — or simply buy a bottle from the on-premise bottle shop and settle in at an outdoor table, overlooking the Spring Street suits. It's a classic setting for year-round romance, whether you're seeking sanctuary from winter inside City Wine Shop's rich wooden warmth, or a splash of sun with your latte on an street-side seat. Appears in: The Best Bars in Melbourne for 2023
While many chefs bring a creative force to the kitchen, not all get to realise their ambitions. Residence, a new destination restaurant in Parkville, aims to change that with an annual chef-in-residence format giving inspired culinary thinkers the time, space and resources to make their ideas a reality. Appropriately situated inside the Potter Museum of Art, this inventive concept is on the lookout for its inaugural resident chef. Though it might be nice to think your home-spun spaghetti bolognese is enough to cut the grade, Residence co-founders Nathen Doyle (Sunhands, Heartattack and Vine, Wide Open Road) and Cameron Earl (Carlton Wine Room, Embla, ST. ALi) have put together a three-stage assessment to shortlist only the best candidates. Sure, throw your hat in the ring, but your submission (open until March 21) needs to detail your influences, provide sample dishes and evoke your restaurant concept. Once selected, the new chef-in-residence will step into the business and begin their mentorship under the Residence executive team. Along the way, they'll receive exceptional front and back-of-house support, while tackling their restaurant opening head-on. That means leading a floor team, managing suppliers and, of course, receiving a cut of the venue's profits. After 12 months of culinary exploration, a new steward will be chosen to reinvent the space. "We want to help foster the next generation of industry professionals," says Doyle, adding that the venue is more than just a restaurant but a deliberate move towards a brighter, more forward-thinking hospitality industry. While close to a blank canvas, Residence is already equipped with a few details to help its chef on their journey. Serving as a daytime to evening destination, there's enough room for 40 patrons in the main dining area alongside 20 more in an adjacent espresso bar and private dining room. Designed by Collingwood interior designers, Studio Co & Co, guests should expect rich materials and uncompromising detail. For Earl, helping an early-career chef build their dream venue is an exciting prospect. "It might be a passionate chef who wants to share their personal story in restaurant form and honour the flavours of their heritage. We want the applicant to thrive in a supportive and innovative environment." Residence is set to open in winter 2025 at the Potter Museum of Art, 815 Swanston Street, Parkville. Head to the website for more information.
The kind of place where 18 degrees is considered freezing, Brisbane is hardly a snowman's natural habitat. But that'll change come summer, when South Bank's Gallery of Modern Art welcomes its own icy figure — and, yes, it'll be made out of real snow. GOMA's latest high-profile acquisition, Snowman is the work of artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss, and dates back to 1987. First conceived as part of a site-specific work at a German thermic power plant, the fairly typical-looking snowman is made from three balls of snow, with the top one boasting hand-drawn eyes and a mouth. What's not typical of this well-travelled snowman, however, is its ability to survive full summers. To protect Snowman from Brisbane's subtropical climate, it'll sit encased in a glass and metal industrial freezer — so, while GOMA visitors will be able to see the frosty sculpture, you definitely won't be able to touch it. But, lucky gallery staff members will be given the task of retracing its eyes and smile every few days, with the artwork's enigmatic expression expected to shift subtly over time from happy to quizzical to maybe even diabolical as a result. When Snowman brings its literal chill to Brissie, it'll mark the piece's first visit to the Southern Hemisphere. Understandably, it's usually exhibited in locations where it's much, much older — including a hit season at New York's Museum of Modern Art. [caption id="attachment_743010" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Snowman (1987/2017-19). Copyright: Peter Fischli David Weiss, Zurich 2019. Courtesy Spruth Magers, Matthew Marks New York and Los Angeles, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich.[/caption] The icy work will first go on display on December 7 as part of GOMA's huge summer showcase, which is completely dedicated to the theme of water. As well as marvelling at Snowman — because a snowman in Brisbane is definitely something worth marvelling at — visitors will also be able to walk across a massive indoor riverbed, with Olafur Eliasson's Riverbed installation another of Water's centrepieces. More than 40 works by international and Australian artists will be featured across the entire exhibition. Geraldine Kirrihi Barlow, Curatorial Manager of International Art at GOMA, hopes the sculpture will help inspire visitors to contemplate topical environmental issues. "In the context of Water, Snowman prompts us to think about issues such as global warming and climate change," Barlow said in a statement. While Water runs until April 26, 2020, Snowman will become a permanent feature at GOMA. The piece isn't just on loan to the gallery, but has been acquired thanks to philanthropic support — and, according to The Courier-Mail, may even eventually tour the state in its freezer. Snowman will display at the Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Place, South Brisbane as part of GOMA's forthcoming Water exhibition, which runs from December 7, 2019 to April 26, 2020. Top image: Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Snowman (1987/2016). Installation view: SFMOMA. Copyright the artists. Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery. Photograph: Mary Ellen Hawkins.
Twenty years. Twelve seasons, plus a round of revival specials. Oh-so-many music and comedy guests. As at 2025, that's the Spicks and Specks story. This year marks two decades since the series first debuted on the ABC — and through cancellations, new hosts, bringing back its OG talents and more, the music quiz show has become a firm Australian favourite. To celebrate that longevity, its latest run will arrive in June. The ABC announced back in 2024 that Spicks and Specks would return this year. Now there's an exact date: Sunday, June 15. Adam Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough are all back — this time joined by Megan Washington, Marcia Hines, Kram, Lucy Durack and Robert Forster among the musicians, plus comedians Julia Morris, Tom Ballard, Dave O'Neil and Sara Pascoe. Hands on buzzers, again. Get ready to bust out all that music knowledge, and also to play along with one of the nation's most-beloved television shows once more, too. Among everything that the ABC has ever broadcast, be it news, entertainment, after-school kids shows, oh-so-much Doctor Who and late-night music videos to keep you occupied after a few drinks all included, Spicks and Specks is among the all-time highlights. 2025's season will also feature performances by Spiderbait, Montaigne, Paul Kelly, Emma Donovan, Pseudo Echo, Barry Morgan and The Living End. In the mid-00s, when the ABC decided to take a few cues from Britain's music quiz and comedy panel TV series Never Mind the Buzzcocks by creating Spicks and Specks, Australia's national broadcaster likely knew that it had a hit on its hands — but it mightn't have realised just how popular that the show would become. Here's how it works, if you need a refresher: the contestants answer questions, compete for points and just generally prove funny, too, all while the series puts Aussie musos and comedians against each other. Spicks and Specks was a weekly favourite when it first aired between 2005–2011 — and it keeps being resurrected. In fact, it has enjoyed more comebacks than John Farnham, although that has meant different things over the years. When the program was initially revived back in 2014, it did so with a new host and team captains, for instance. And when it started to make a return with its original lineup of Hills, Warhurst and Brough, it first did so via a one-off reunion special. That 2018 comeback became the ABC's most-watched show of that year. So, the broadcaster then decided to drop four new Spicks and Specks specials across 2019–20 and, for 2021, to bring back Spicks and Specks in its regular format. In 2022, ten new episodes hit — and then the show returned again in 2024. To tide you over until the 2025 episodes arrive, here's a clip from 2024's Spicks and Specks run: Spicks and Specks returns to ABC TV and ABC iView from Sunday, June 15, 2025.
For more than two decades, Alimentari has been satisfying deli cravings in the inner north with coffee, salads and paninis stacked with succulent meat from its rotisserie plus plenty of quality cheese and charcuterie. The popular Fitzroy staple expanded to its Smith Street location back in 2013, as demand for its signature take home meals and dishes grew. The menu is extensive and well rounded — running from brekkie favourites like smashed avo ($18.50) and sweet corn fritters ($20), to paninis, wraps, salads and deli plates, to larger dishes of wood-roasted cauliflower ($22) and linguine calamari ($26) — and this place can stock your pantry, too. Stop by for a slice of cake and an espresso, cold-pressed juice or cheeky cocktail, and head home with essentials like stocks, sauces and polenta, plus a pork and fennel lasagne or eggplant parmigiana to feed the whole family. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Sandwiches in Melbourne for 2023
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures will do that, and so will plenty of people staying home because they aren't well — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Perhaps you've been under the weather. Given the hefty amount of titles now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are 13 that you can watch right now at home. Civil War Civil War is not a relaxing film, either for its characters or viewers, but writer/director Alex Garland (Men) does give Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog) a moment to lie down among the flowers. She isn't alone among this stunning movie's stars on her stomach on a property filled with Christmas decorations en route from New York to Washington DC. Also, with shots being fired back and forth, no one is in de-stressing mode. For viewers of Dunst's collaborations with Sofia Coppola, however — a filmmaker that her Civil War co-star Cailee Spaeny just played Priscilla Presley for in Priscilla — the sight of her face beside grass and blooms was always going to recall The Virgin Suicides. Twenty-five years have now passed since that feature, which Garland nods to as a handy piece of intertextual shorthand. As the camera's focus shifts between nature and people, there's not even a tiny instant of bliss among this sorrow, nor will there ever be, as there was the last time that Dunst was framed in a comparable fashion. Instead, Civil War tasks its lead with stepping into the shoes of a seasoned war photographer in the middle of the violent US schism that gives the movie its name (and, with January 6, 2021 so fresh in everyone's memories, into events that could very well be happening in a version of right now). The US President (Nick Offerman, Origin) is into his third term after refusing to leave office, and the fallout is both polarising and immense. Think: bombed cities, suicide attackers, death squads, torture, lynchings, ambushes, snipers, shuttering the FBI, California and Texas inexplicably forming an alliance to fight back, Florida making its own faction, journalists killed on sight, refugee camps, deserted highways, checkpoints, resistance fighters, mass graves and, amid the rampant anarchy, existence as America currently knows it clearly obliterated. (Asking "what kind of American are you?" barely seems a stretch, though.) The front line is in Charlottesville, but Dunst's Lee Smith is destined for the White House with Reuters reporter Joel (Wagner Moura, Mr & Mrs Smith), where they're hoping to evade the lethal anti-media sentiment to secure an interview with the leader who has torn the country apart. Civil War streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Monkey Man Dev Patel means business in Monkey Man, both on- and off-screen. Starring in the ferocious vengeance-dripping action-thriller, he plays Kid, a man on a mission to punish the powers that be in Yatana (a fictional Indian city inspired by Mumbai) for their injustices, and specifically for the death of his mother Neela (Adithi Kalkunte, who Patel worked with on Hotel Mumbai) when he was a boy. As the film's director, producer and co-writer, he isn't holding back either, especially in adding something to his resume that no other project has offered in his almost two decades as an actor since Skins marked his on-camera debut. Dev Patel: action star has an excellent ring to it. So does Dev Patel: action filmmaker. Both labels don't merely sound great with Monkey Man; this is a frenetic and thrilling flick, and also a layered one that marries its expertly choreographed carnage with a statement. In the post-John Wick action-movie realm, it might seem as if every actor is doing features about formidable lone forces taking on their enemies. Patel initially began working on Monkey Man over ten years ago, which is when Keanu Reeves (The Matrix Resurrections) first went avenging, but his film still acknowledges what its viewers will almost-inevitably ponder by giving John Wick a shoutout. Thinking about the Charlize Theron (Fast X)-led Atomic Blonde and Bob Odenkirk (The Bear)-starring Nobody is understandable while watching, too — but it's The Raid and Oldboy, plus the decades of Asian action onslaughts and revenge-filled Korean efforts around them, that should stick firmest in everyone's mind. All directors are product of their influences; however, Patel achieves the rare feat of openly adoring his inspirations while filtering them through his exact vision to fashion a picture that's always 100-percent his own (and 100-percent excellent). Monkey Man streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Dev Patel. Love Lies Bleeding In Love Lies Bleeding, a craggy ravine just outside a dusty New Mexico town beckons, ready to swallow sordid secrets in the dark of the desert's starry night. Tumbling into it, a car explodes in flames partway through the movie, exactly as the person pushing it in wants it to. There's the experience of watching Rose Glass' sophomore film emblazoned across the feature's very frames. After the expertly unsettling Saint Maud, the British writer/director returns with a second psychological horror, this time starring Kristen Stewart in the latest of her exceptionally chosen post-Twilight roles (see: Crimes of the Future, Spencer, Happiest Season, Lizzie, Personal Shopper, Certain Women and Clouds of Sils Maria). An 80s-set queer and sensual tale of love, lust, blood and violence, Love Lies Bleeding is as inkily alluring as the gorge that's pivotal to its plot, and as fiery as the inferno that swells from the canyon's depths. This neon-lit, synth-scored neo-noir thriller scorches, too — and burns so brightly that there's no escaping its glow. When the words "you have to see it to believe it" also grace Love Lies Bleeding — diving into gyms and in the bodybuilding world, it's no stranger to motivational statements such as "no pain no gain", "destiny is a decision" and "the body achieves what the mind believes" — they help sum up this wild cinematic ride as well. Glass co-scripts here with Weronika Tofilska (they each previously penned and helmed segments of 2015's A Moment in Horror), but her features feel like the result of specific, singular and searing visions that aren't afraid to swerve and veer boldly and committedly to weave their stories and leave an imprint. Accordingly, Love Lies Bleeding is indeed a romance, a crime flick and a revenge quest. It's about lovers on the run (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's Katy O'Brian pairs with Stewart) and intergenerational griminess. It rages against the machine. It's erotic, a road trip and unashamedly pulpy. It also takes the concept of strong female leads to a place that nothing else has, and you do need to witness it to fathom it. Love Lies Bleeding streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Rose Glass. Late Night with the Devil If David Dastmalchian ever tires of acting, which will hopefully never happen, he'd make an entrancing late-night television host. He even has the audition tape for it: Late Night with the Devil. Of course, the star who earned his first movie credit on The Dark Knight, and has stood out in Blade Runner 2049, The Suicide Squad, Dune and the third season of Twin Peaks — plus Boston Strangler, The Boogeyman, Oppenheimer and Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter all in 2023 alone, alongside Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania — might be hoping for a less eerie and unsettling gig IRL. Dastmalchian is a fan of horror anchors, writing an article for Fangoria about them. Here, putting in a helluva can't-look-away performance, he plays one. That said, the namesake of Night Owls with Jack Delroy isn't meant to fit the mould so unnervingly, nor is the series that he's on. Delroy is a Johnny Carson rival — and, because Australian filmmakers Cameron and Colin Cairnes (100 Bloody Acres, Scare Campaign) write and direct Late Night with the Devil, he's also a Don Lane-type talent — who isn't afraid of embracing the supernatural on his live talk show. On Halloween in 1977, airing his usual special episode for the occasion, he decides to attempt to arrest the flagging ratings of what was once a smash by booking four attention-grabbing guests. What occurs when Delroy, who is grieving the loss of his actor wife Madeleine Piper (Georgina Haig, NCIS Sydney) a year earlier, shares the stage with not only a famous skeptic and a psychic, but also with a parapsychologist and a girl who is reportedly possessed? That might sound like the setup for a joke, but it's this new Aussie horror gem's captivating premise. Late Night with the Devil streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Colin and Cameron Cairnes. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Godzilla is finally an Oscar-winner. It's about time. But the septuagenarian reptile didn't score Hollywood's top trophy for curling up in the Colosseum for a snooze, rocking electric-pink spikes, thundering into Hollow Earth — the world literally within our world where titans spring from — and teaming up with King Kong to take on a rival giant ape that rides an ice-breathing kaiju and uses a skeletal spine as a rope. Japan's exceptional Godzilla Minus One, which took home 2024's Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, wasn't that kind of monster movie. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which hails from the American-made Monsterverse, definitely is. Arriving shortly after one of its titular figures received such a coveted filmmaking accolade (and also after the US franchise's ace streaming series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), this sequel to 2021's Godzilla vs Kong is patently from the goofily entertaining rather than deeply meaningful brand of Godzilla flicks. Yes, there's room for both. It might seem a hard job to follow up one of the best-ever takes on the nuclear-powered creature with an action-adventure-fantasy monster mash that also features a Hawaiian shirt-wearing veterinarian (Dan Stevens, Welcome to Chippendale) dropping in via helicopter to do dental work on King Kong, the return of the Monsterverse's resident conspiracy-theorist podcaster (Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta), a complicated mother-daughter dynamic (via Rebecca Hall, Resurrection, and Kaylee Hottle, Magnum PI) and a mini Kong called Suko — plus, in its very first minutes, several other animals being ripped apart by Godzilla and Kong. When he took on the gig of helming pictures in this franchise, however, You're Next, The Guest, Blair Witch and Death Note filmmaker Adam Wingard chose fun chaos. His two entries so far aren't dreaming of competing for thoughtfulness with the movies coming out of the country that created Godzilla. Rather, they're made with affection for that entire legacy, and also Kong's, which dates back even further to 1933. Getting audiences relishing the spectacle of this saga is the clear aim, then — and Wingard's attempts put exactly that in their sights above all else. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, Brian Tyree Henry, Kaylee Hottle and Adam Wingard. Abigail Abigail, aka the tween vampire ballerina film that unveiled that premise in its trailer, is still an entertaining time irrespective of your starting knowledge, thankfully. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's fifth full-length directorial effort — and their first after bringing back Ghostface in 2022's Scream and 2023's Scream VI — begins as a blend of a heist affair, horror mansion movie and whodunnit. It kicks off with a kidnapping skilfully pulled off by a motley crew (is there any other type?), then with holing up in the mastermind's sprawling and eerie safe house with their 12-year-old captive, then with fingers being pointed and their charge toying with them. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are slick with their opening, from breaking into a well-secured estate to avoiding surveillance cameras while speeding through the streets afterwards. They're playful, too, when corralling everyone in their next location — a setup that they've turned into an ace horror watch before in 2019's Ready or Not — and letting suspicions run wild. The six abductors here, as given nicknames Reservoir Dogs-style but with a Rat Pack spin, and told not to divulge their true identities or histories to each other: Joey (Melissa Barrera, Carmen), a recovering addict with medical skills; Frank (Dan Stevens, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire), who has a background in law enforcement; Rickles (William Catlett, Constellation), an ex-marine; Sammy (Kathryn Newton, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), the resident hacker; Peter (Kevin Durand, Pantheon), the dim-witted muscle; and Dean (Angus Cloud, Euphoria), the stoner wheelman. The middleman for their employer: the no-nonsense Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito, The Gentlemen). And the girl: Abigail (Alisha Weir, Wicked Little Letters), of course, who is the daughter of someone obscenely rich and powerful. She's just finished dance rehearsals, is still in her tutu, and proves the picture of scared and unsettled when she's snatched from her bedroom, drugged and blindfolded — until she isn't. Abigail streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Wicked Little Letters Whether it's via a post or tweet or message, in a comment or status update, thanks to a Notes app screenshot or in an email, mean words aren't hard to share two decades into the 21st century. Click a few buttons, slide your finger across a touchscreen, then vitriol can be directed virtually instantaneously worldwide. Countless people — too many, all sticklers for unpleasantness — do just that. Such behaviour has almost become a reflex. A century ago, however, spewing nastiness by text required far more effort. Someone had to put ink to paper, commit their hatred to physical form in their own handwriting, tuck it into an envelope, pay for postage, then await the mail service to deliver their malice. Wicked Little Letters isn't an ode to that dedication, but there's no avoiding that sending offensive missives in its 1920s setting was a concerted, determined act — and also that no one could claim just seconds later that they were hacked. Times change, and technology with it, but people don't: that's another way of looking at this British dramedy, which is indeed based on a true tale. Director Thea Sharrock (The One and Only Ivan) and screenwriter Jonny Sweet (Gap Year) know that there's a quaintness about the chapter of history that they're bringing to the screen, but not to the attitudes behind the incident. In Sussex by the sea on the English Channel, spiteful dispatches scandalised a town, with the situation dubbed "the Littlehampton libels". In Wicked Little Letters' account, Edith (Olivia Colman, Wonka) keeps receiving notes that overuse vulgar terms, and the God-fearing spinster, who lives with her strict father (Timothy Spall, The Heist Before Christmas) and dutiful mother (Gemma Jones, Emily), is certain that she knows the source. Living next door, Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley, Fingernails) is an Irish single mother to Nancy (Alisha Weir, Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical), has Bill (Malachi Kirby, My Name Is Leon) as her live-in boyfriend, and is fond of a drink at the pub and of sharing her opinion. The two neighbours are as chalk and cheese as women of the time could get, but were once friendly. When Edith blames Rose, the latter's pleas that she's innocent — and that she'd just tell the former her grievances to her face, not send them anonymously — fall on deaf ears among most of the resident police. Wicked Little Letters streams via YouTube Movies. Read our full review. Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person What if a vampire didn't want to feed on humans? When it happens in Interview with the Vampire, rats are the solution. In Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, Sasha (Sara Montpetit, White Dog) gets her sustenance from pouches of blood instead, but her family — father (Steve Laplante, The Nature of Love), mother (Sophie Cadieux, Chouchou), aunt (Marie Brassard, Viking) and cousin Denise (Noémie O'Farrell, District 31') — are increasingly concerned once more than half a century passes and she keeps avoiding biting necks. Sasha still looks like a goth teenager, yet she's 68, so her relatives believe that it's well past time for her to embrace an inescapable aspect of being a bloodsucker. What if she didn't have to, though? The potential solution in the delightful first feature by director Ariane Louis-Seize, who co-writes with Christine Doyon (Germain s'éteint), is right there in this 2023 Venice International Film Festival award-winner's title. With What We Do in the Shadows, both on the big and small screens, the idea that vamps are just like the living when it comes to sharing houses has gushed with laughs. Swap out flatmates for adolescence — including pesky parents trying to cramp a teen's style — and that's Louis-Seize's approach in this French-language Canadian effort. As much as Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person brings fellow undead fare to mind, however, and more beyond, the Québécois picture is an entrancing slurp of vampire and other genres on its own merits. There's an Only Lovers Left Alive-style yearning and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night-esque elegance to the film. Beetlejuice and The Hunger bubble up, too, as do Under the Skin, Ginger Snaps and The Craft as well. But comparable to how drinking from someone doesn't transform you into them — at least according to a century-plus of bloodsucking tales on the page, in cinemas and on TV — nodding at influences doesn't turn this coming-of-age horror-comedy into its predecessors. Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person streams via iTunes. Read our full review. You'll Never Find Me When The Rocky Horror Picture Show starts with just-engaged couple Brad Majors and Janet Weiss knocking on a stranger's door on a dark and rainy night, with the pair hoping to find both shelter from the elements and assistance, no one could predict what awaits inside. There isn't much that connects the stage-to-screen cult musical-comedy hit from nearly 50 years back with expertly tense and atmospheric Australian horror film You'll Never Find Me, but that basic setup gets a spin — and a wild ride is again the end result. Also, if you're the type to take life tips from pop culture, a familiar piece of advice proves true once more. Even the most casual of filmgoers know that little that's good ever comes from an unexpected thump on someone's house, regardless of whether you're doing the banging or hearing it from the other side. Knock at the Cabin, Knock Knock, The Strangers: they all back this idea up, too, and the list goes on. In You'll Never Find Me — which Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen write, direct and produce as their first feature — the weather is indeed violently stormy and the evening is inescapably black when a young woman (Jordan Cowan, Krystal Klairvoyant) taps on the caravan that Patrick (Brendan Rock, The Stranger) calls home. They're both tentative, anxious and unsettled. She asks for help, he obliges, but suspicion lingers in the air as heavily as the sound of thunder and the wail of wind. The thick blanket of distrust doesn't fray as they talk, either, with the new arrival — named only The Visitor in the feature's credits — claiming that she fell asleep on the beach, hence her presence on her host's doorstep at 2am. But Patrick keeps finding holes in her story. She's also doubtful about his claims that he doesn't have a phone that she could use, public facilities are too far away for her to get to without him driving her to it and they'll need to wait until the rain subsides to depart. You'll Never Find Me streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire There's nothing strange in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, even with the spirits of sewer dragons, Slimer and pre-Sumerian demons all lurking about. There's nothing unusual about the movie's neighbourhood, either, with the supernatural comedy franchise revisiting New York after Ghostbusters: Afterlife's detour to Oklahoma. No surprises are found among the characters, mixing OG faces from 1984's Ghostbusters and its 1989 sequel Ghostbusters II with cast members from the saga's last flick (and still sadly pretending that 2016's excellent female-led Ghostbusters didn't happen). But something unexpected does occur in this fifth film to ask "who ya gonna call?", this time directed by Gil Kenan (A Boy Called Christmas) with Jason Reitman (The Front Runner), Afterlife's helmer and the son of the first two films' Ivan Reitman (Draft Day), scripting: its love of nostalgia is as strong as in Afterlife; however, Frozen Empire is welcomely absent its immediate predecessor's needy force. That said, simply being better than Afterlife is a low hurdle to clear. It's also what Frozen Empire achieves and little more. Kenan ain't afraid of a by-the-numbers script that stitches together references to the franchise's past and as many characters as can be jam-packed in. Frozen Empire begins with Callie (Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age), her teen kids Trevor (Finn Wolfhard, Stranger Things) and Phoebe (McKenna Grace, Crater), and their former science teacher Gary (Paul Rudd, Only Murders in the Building) all in Ecto-1, in hot pursuit of an otherworldly wraith in Manhattan — and the fact that Callie parents, Gary yearns to be seen as a parent and Trevor reminds everyone that he's 18 now sets the scene for their parts moving forward. So does Phoebe taking charge, but Kenan and Reitman only make half an effort to push her to the fore. When Phoebe links up with Dan Aykroyd's (Zombie Town) Ray Stantz, who now runs a store that buys possessed possessions, the Ghostbusters saga gets its best path forward so far with this cast. And yet, possibly scared of the ridiculous backlash to Kate McKinnon (Barbie), Kristen Wiig (Palm Royale), Melissa McCarthy (The Little Mermaid) and Leslie Jones (Our Flag Means Death) in jumpsuits almost a decade back, Frozen Empire largely pads itself out with filler to stop Phoebe always being the main point of focus. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. The Great Escaper Two British acting icons enjoy their last on-screen hurrah in The Great Escaper, which is reason enough to see the based-on-a-true-story drama about a World War II veteran making a run for it. At the age of 90, Michael Caine announced that playing 89-year-old Bernard Jordan would be his last role in a film career that dates back to 1950. Glenda Jackson only returned to acting in 2015, after decades in politics since the 90s, then passed away after lending her talents to Bernard's wife Irene. The film they're in doesn't always match their efforts, with William Ivory's (Isolation Stories) script happy to hit the obvious notes, and forcefully — and director Oliver Parker just as content to do the same, as he also was on Johnny English Reborn, Dad's Army and Swimming with Men. Still, as it tells a spirited tale, it unsurprisingly does so with far more weight beyond its formula — as real as its events are — with Caine (Best Sellers) and Jackson (Mothering Sunday) in the lead parts. Normally when a movie links to the Second World War and involves fleeing, it's a period-set flick, but not this one. Jordan's stint of absconding came in June 2014, when he took his leave from his East Sussex nursing home without informing anyone to travel to Normandy for the 70th-anniversary D-Day commemorations. That makes The Great Escaper a breaking-out adventure of a unique kind — and Caine and Jackson, the latter as the spouse following her absent husband's antics from afar, are an excellent pair who bring gravitas to their roles whether they're sharing the frame or their characters are in different countries. The flashbacks to their younger years (featuring The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's Will Fletcher and Bad Education's Laura Marcus) are less compelling. There's also little in the way of subtlety to the film's old-fashioned telling. But this story also proves affecting in pondering how war heroes are celebrated, then forgotten as they age, and also the human toll of every conflict long after it has been waged. The Great Escaper streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Baghead Sit in a chair. Embrace the otherworldly. Whether you're ready for it or not — physically and emotionally alike — bear witness to the dead being summoned. Speak to those who are no longer in the land of the living. Perhaps, while you're chatting, get caught in a dialogue with something nefarious as well. Talk to Me used this setup to audience-wowing and award-winning effect. Now comes Baghead, which stems from a short film that pre-dates 2023's big Australian-made horror hit, and was shot before Michael and Danny Philippou's A24-distributed flick played cinemas, but still brings it to mind instantly. Audiences can be haunted by what they've seen before, especially in a busy, ever-growing genre where almost everything is haunted anyway and few pictures feel genuinely new. Here, as first-time feature filmmaker Alberto Corredor adapts his own applauded short (which has nothing to do with the mumblecore effort starring Greta Gerwig before she was directing Lady Bird, Little Women and Barbie), there's no shaking how Talk to Me gnaws at Baghead. The director and screenwriters Christina Pamies (another debutant) and Bryce McGuire (Night Swim) make grief their theme, and with commitment; the pain of loss colours the movie as much as its shadowy imagery. But, despite boasting two dedicated performances, Corredor's Baghead is routine again and again. At The Queen's Head in Berlin, Owen Lark (Peter Mullan, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) oversees a ramshackle four-centuries-old pub where customers aren't there for the drinks. The basement is the big drawcard for those in the know, with the being that resides in it, in a hole in a brick wall, luring punters in the door. Everyone who arrives with cash and a plea for help is in mourning. When Neil (Jeremy Irvine, Benediction) makes an entrance, he knows exactly what he wants. Baghead begins not with Owen letting his latest patron meet the entity that shares the movie's title, though, but with him endeavouring to vanquish it. If he was successful, there'd be no film from there. Because he isn't, his estranged daughter Iris (Freya Allan, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) is summoned to the German city by a solicitor (Ned Dennehy, The Peripheral), becoming the watering hole's next owner. Baghead streams via YouTube Movies. Read our full review, and our interview with Freya Allan. Kung Fu Panda 4 What happens when you've scored your dream job, especially when getting everything that you've ever wanted has meant navigating a lengthy and challenging quest — and when you've always been an underdog (well, an underpanda to be precise)? So asks Kung Fu Panda 4, posing that question to Po (Jack Black, The Super Mario Bros Movie), the black-and-white mammal whose journey to becoming a martial-arts master has sat at the heart of this franchise since 2008. Po loves being the Dragon Warrior, even when 2011's Kung Fu Panda 2 and 2016's Kung Fu Panda 3 have thrown ups and downs his way. In the movie series' fourth big-screen entry, however, Shifu (Dustin Hoffman, Sam & Kate) advises that it's time to start thinking about his successor in the post, as Po should be moving up the ranks to take on the job of the Valley of Peace's Spiritual Leader. One big problem: the panda isn't thrilled. Another: he doesn't love any of the candidates. There's also The Chameleon (Viola Davis, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes), a sorceress, to deal with — potentially with the help of thieving fox Zhen (Awkwafina, IF). Black's voice has always done plenty of heavy lifting in the Kung Fu Panda flicks, alongside the general concept — a panda as a kung fu whiz — and the slapstick silliness that comes to the screen with it. None of that changes in Kung Fu Panda 4, and no one involved appears to want it to. Also still a constant: the reliance upon well-known names lending their vocals to the movie's menagerie (Argylle's Bryan Cranston, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai's James Hong, John Wick: Chapter 4's Ian McShane and Dumb Money's Seth Rogen have been here before; Everything Everywhere All At Once Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan and Unfrosted's Ronny Chieng are among the newcomers). The visuals remain vivid, but the story is in a rush to ping pong to the next sight gag or excuse to get the film's cast bantering. As directed Mike Mitchell (The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part) and Stephanie Stine (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power), the film bounces, leaps, kicks and rolls along merrily enough, though — just — for younger audiences. Kung Fu Panda 4 streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Looking for more viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and fast-tracked highlights from January, February, March and April 2024 (and also January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2023, too). We keep a running list of must-stream TV from across 2024 as well, complete with full reviews. And, we've also rounded up 2023's 15 best films, 15 best straight-to-streaming movies, 15 top flicks hardly anyone saw, 30 other films to catch up with, 15 best new TV series of 2023, another 15 excellent new TV shows that you might've missed and 15 best returning shows.
It just might be Australia's most famous man-made structure, and it'll soon be home to the Australian Aboriginal flag on a permanent basis. That'd be the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which only flies the Aboriginal flag for 19 days each year at present — for Australia Day, Sorry Day, Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week — but will do so every day "as soon as possible", as New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet has just announced. The Sydney Harbour Bridge currently has two flag poles, with one flying the Australian flag and, when the Aboriginal flag isn't on display on its allocated days, the other flying the NSW state flag. To display the Aboriginal flag permanently, the bridge will gain a third flag pole — with the Premier advising that the government has "been working through this for some time." Speaking at NSW's daily COVID-19 press conference on Saturday, February 5, Perrottet said that "the first advice I received is that it would take two years. Two years. I mean, in the 1920s, it took nine years to build the Harbour Bridge, but apparently today it takes two years to put a flag pole on top of the Harbour Bridge. I'll climb up there myself to put it up if I need to". He continued: "I can't see why it would take that long. The new advice that I've received is that it can be expedited — I think it went down to two years, and then to six months — so as soon as possible". A 5 year struggle worth while. WE BLOODY DID IT 🎉 Thank you to everyone who participated. The @ChangeAus petition & @gofundme won't stop until the flag is flying proud. Let's see it to the end.@AIA_SydneyCBD @MayorDarcy @david4wyong @GaryNunn1https://t.co/Xbqhunc8m7 — Cheree Toka (@Chereetoka) February 4, 2022 The announcement follows a five-year-long campaign by Kamilaroi woman Cheree Toka, who also launched a Change.org campaign in 2020 to continue to call on the NSW government to make this exact move. "The Aboriginal flag is a reminder that the country has a history before European arrival," Toka said two years ago. "I think it's really important to have a symbolic gesture on the bridge that identifies the true history of Australia, which is a starting point for conversation around greater issues affecting the Indigenous population." After the first three years of Toka's campaign, she had amassed more than 157,000 digital signatures and the required 10,000 paper-based signatures to bring the issue to NSW parliament. However, when it was debated in the final NSW parliamentary session of 2019, the result then was that it would cost too much to construct a third flagpole to see the Aboriginal flag flying daily — which was what sparked her crowdfunding campaign to raise the $300,000 quoted by the government to 'fund the flag'. [caption id="attachment_841962" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vakrieger via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Announcing the change of policy on the weekend, the NSW Premier said that "we can't truly be proud of our country unless we are working together to achieve true reconciliation. That's a combination of both symbolic reconciliation and practical reconciliation." The move to permanently display the Aboriginal flag on the Sydney Harbour Bridge comes just weeks after 2022's other big flag news, with the Australian Government unveiling a copyright deal at the end of January with Luritja artist Harold Thomas, who designed the symbol, to make it freely available for public use, Exactly when the Aboriginal flag will start flying permanently on the Sydney Harbour Bridge hasn't yet been revealed — we'll update you when further details are announced. Top image: Mary and Andrew via Flickr.
Melbourne's live music scene is often described as the best in the world. But don't think that's just a little local bravado: our home features the most music venues per capita of any city around the globe. Since 2022, Always Live has become a small but important part of the equation, showcasing hundreds of local and international musos in stadiums, pubs, clubs, and ad hoc venues. With the state-wide festival now a major contender on the cultural calendar, Always Live is mixing things up with the addition of Melbourne Vibes — a series of free summer pop-up live music performances presented across the CBD. Energising streets and laneways with creative goodness across weekends in January, these spontaneous performances encourage locals and visitors to stumble upon live music where they least expect it. Keen to catch one of these secret shows? You need to keep your ear to the ground, or at least your eyes on social media. That's because each performance's artists and locations are shared on the Always Live website and social channels on the day of the pop-up, helping set an impromptu, memorable tone for the gig. So far, we've seen Jimmy Barnes at City Square, Cut Copy on the Evan Walker Bridge, Mallrat at 500 Bourke Street and loads more. "Live music is part of the cultural heartbeat of this city and it belongs on the streets as much as it does on our greatest stages," says Always Live CEO Psyche Payne. "ALWAYS LIVE Melbourne Vibes is all about creating those unexpected, joyful moments where music meets the everyday — supporting artists, bringing people together with the positive buzz of live music experience and amplifying the vibrancy, spontaneity and energy that defines our city."
Melbourne's cultural tapestry weaves some of its most dynamic colours in South Melbourne where the pulse of the city's south beats with a rhythm that promises something truly stunning for every hour. About 12,000 people call South Melbourne home and lucky them, they get to experience the joys of an Albert Park lake stroll and a South Melbourne dim sim every day. But as for the rest of us, we'll have to settle for just visiting. But what if you only had one day? How would you make the most of your time? Well, let's find out. MORNING If the early bird gets the worm and the second mouse gets the cheese, the South Melbourne visitor needn't worry about any of that, because chances are if you're reading this, you're a human. However, no matter your species, it is recommended to rise just before the sun so you can be at Albert Park Lake as that giant fireball in the sky says good morning to the planet. Yes, waking that early sucks, but if you can do it, the reward will be immense. The lake and its surrounds are stunning at all times of day but with a dynamic pastel backdrop of orange sky and brightening light it is particularly special. Next, we need coffee. A morning is only as good as the coffee that accompanies it — cue The Kettle Black, where baristas craft seriously decent coffee. Stick around for a while and take in the vibe, the airy sun-drenched space is worth lingering over. [caption id="attachment_925199" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oven-fresh croissants at Chez Dre[/caption] Next, head to the Austro Bakery and nab yourself a giant pretzel, loaf of sourdough or anything else your heart desires. You really can't go wrong here as the bakery effortlessly blends tradition of centuries-old European baking inspiration with a modern twist. Speaking of baked goods, you might also want to swing by Chez Dre, a French-inspired cafe serving cakes and brunch that will transport you to Paris with every flaky bite of its chocolate croissants. Finally, round off the morning with a visit to See Yup Temple, built originally in 1856 then rebuilt and expanded a decade later. The oldest Chinese temple in Australia is a real historical treat right here in Melbourne and the perfect place to take a quiet moment before things start ramping up for the rest of the day. AFTERNOON By afternoon, South Melbourne Market beckons with the siren call of a South Melbourne dim sim — it would be a crime and an affront to all things good and holy not to. This is a sacred place for dim sim lovers the world over, a place of deep historical and spiritual significance. To taste the South Melbourne dim sim is to experience a little piece of delicious Australian history. So go on, grab one, or grab a few, and let's get going. Next up? Get in loser, we're going shopping. Check out Clarendon, Coventry, Cecil and Park streets for a little bit of retail therapy at some of Melbourne's coolest boutiques. If you're into good design, cute homewares and anything even remotely fashion-related, this is your time to shine as you hunt for a hidden gem in South Melbourne's leafy shopping streets. To keep the artisanal vibe going, pop into the Australian Tapestry Workshop on Park Street. It's been spinning some of Australia's most stunning tapestries since 1976 and is the only one of its kind in Australia, as well as among just a handful around the world. Guests can check out its two galleries, which showcase exhibitions of tapestries and modern art on a rotating basis. It also runs tapestry classes and workshops regularly. And finally, for a laidback interlude, pop into Westside Ale Works — a cosy laneway brewpub hidden on Alfred Street just begging you to stay for a while and enjoy a nice afternoon pint (or several). EVENING As the sun dips and evening colours the sky, a stroll along Port Melbourne Beach offers the perfect canvas for a sunset walk — bonus points if you're with that special someone, this is seriously romantic. And if you don't have that special someone, you'll find someone one day, or maybe you won't! Either way, a sunset stroll on the beach is lovely. Next, follow the scent of a woodfired grill to Half Acre, a once dilapidated mill that's been transformed into a fine spot to enjoy a hearty feast of great, simple food with Middle Eastern and Euro influences amid an instantly warm atmosphere that feels like elevated dining at a friend's place. Afterwards, head to Bellota Wine Bar and enjoy a glass of red, or white, or orange — given it is home to literally thousands of wine bottles. Whether you're sitting at the bar, the tables, or in the courtyard, the vibe is sure to be immaculate. LATE-NIGHT FUN The night is still young; it's only natural we go bar hopping. Head to gorgeous Hatted bistro James for a European wine bar feeling with hints of Japanese inspiration on its fantastic degustation menu. Or for something more casual venture up to The Albion Rooftop to enjoy the spectacular cityscape vista, or pop by The Montague in the leafy backstreets for a nice cocktail in the inviting outdoor seating. Obviously, we suggest all three, as well as any more you might encounter on your journey. South Melbourne is your oyster, and all its bars lead to a good time. And now for the best part of the night. Head to Dessertopia for some of the most visually pleasing desserts you'll ever see. Seriously, they look so good you'll almost feel bad eating them (almost). Don't take our word for it, check out its Insta. Yes, that's right, glow-in-the-dark cupcakes. What a time to be alive. Enjoy and bask in the sweet glow, you had the ultimate day (and night) in South Melbourne. Now go get some rest, you must be exhausted. Looking to make the most of your next city break? Explore more of your city this summer with the City of Port Phillip.
Located in a historic former wool mill, Boom Gallery showcases work by established and emerging artists, designers and makers in a vibrant contemporary space. First opened in 2011, the gallery has expanded to accommodate and celebrate the city's growing creative scene — owners Ren Inei and Kate Jacoby recently opened Big Boom, an expansive gallery space for monthly exhibitions, a design gallery, studios and workshops, and a dedicated artist-in-residence space. Boom Gallery also hosts regular events and workshops, while the buzzy on-site cafe is an ideal spot for a creative and inspiring refuel.
Three words: blue cheese hummus. That's what you'll come out of Naughty Boy repeating — over and over, like a prayer or incantation — if you make the right move in ordering the cauliflower and hazelnut fritters with poached eggs and a fennel salad. The addition of hummus and blue cheese together (at last!) is such a perfect marriage, you'll wonder why you hadn't thought of it yourself. It's not a brunch dish likely to be superseded in a hurry — except perhaps by something else on the very same menu. Because while blue cheese hummus is undoubtedly incredible and it's a great introduction to Naughty Boy, there is much more to love at Princes Hill's new (and we're pretty sure only) cafe. Having been open for almost three months now, the cafe has found its rhythm, and come the weekend, the 100-seater space is pretty much full. The menu — which spans breakfast and lunch — is one of those that caters to each one of your gastronomic sensibilities. Choosing is the hard part. Sweet is covered by a coconut and lime rice pudding with rhubarb and candied almonds ($12.90), and — when we visited — a pancake special. The Bircher with muddled spiced berries and pistachio ($10.50) takes a more virtuous path; oats are subbed for quinoa and chia seeds, making it grainy and wholesome. It's also one of the many gluten free options. Savoury is where the focus lies though, with the aforementioned fritters taking centre stage, along with twice-cooked pork belly and a breakfast Scotch fillet and fried eggs. The Naughty Boy is a platter set to please, with bacon, tomato, falafel, mushroom and eggs ($20.90) — just be sure to add a side of bacon and gruyere croquettes. Coffee is from Allpress, but you might also find a guest blend, like Dukes, on offer. The cafe is licensed too, which means lunch can be accompanied by a beer, cider or one of the few wines kept in-house. Naughty Boy is perhaps a bit ambitious — the space is big and risks looking empty out of peak weekend hours — but it fills a void in the surprisingly cafe-barren stretch of Lygon Street that has long been monopolised by North Carlton Canteen. Above all else, this is Melbourne breakfast at its most pleasing, and it is a menu that can be revisited again and again.
Whether you're after top-quality hot pot, grab-and-go lunches, or meat and marinades galore, Elizabeth Street's three-in-one outpost has got you covered. Niku Shiki is a specialty wagyu house, wagyu butcher and takeaway restaurant all rolled into one, and it has opened a sibling CBD location to its OG Glen Waverley site. Co-founded by Kai Gu and Executive Chef Yasuo Matsuike (ex-En Japanese Brasserie in New York and Nobu), the wagyu house's second outpost offers top-of-the-range cuts supplied by Pardoo Wagyu. Chef Ken Kee (ex-Shoya, Shira Nui and Head Chef of Marble Yakiniku) has designed the menu, curating a range of dishes starring wagyu sushi, quality cuts of meat, and Japanese classics like donburi and udon. With a texture-filled venue envisioned by Elvin Tan Designs, the atmosphere of Niku Shiki is intimate and inviting. Its black and gold theme, warm lighting and veined black marble — reminiscent of the pattern that you'll find on a slice of wagyu — add a touch of elegance. Niku Shiki translates to "meat for all seasons", encouraging CBD-goers to enjoy its premium cuts all year round. For those on the go, takeaway is available for any of the restaurant's dishes, with a selection of grab-and-go sushi and sashimi taking centre stage. Or, you can opt to dine in at its sleek restaurant and enjoy wagyu sukiyaki hot pots, top-quality sushi and sashimi, donburi rice bowls and thick udon noodle dishes, all of which incorporate luxe ingredients like foie gras, caviar and truffle. The in-house butcher and grocer slings a selection of wagyu cuts, from hot-pot meat, fillets and steaks to fresh fish with pre-made marinades, sake and specialty rice. Plus, you are also able to grab any cooking utensils you may need, including your own hibachi grill or hot pot.
Good news hasn't been easy to find among Australia's music festival scene in 2024, but Strawberry Fields is bucking the trend. The annual fest on the banks of the Murray River is only just dropping its lineup now, on Monday, July 8, but it's already almost at ticketing capacity. Some events are all about who's taking to the stage. Some boast a setup and setting worth spending a weekend in no matter which acts are on the bill. Strawberry Fields doesn't skimp on talent, of course, but its location is a hefty drawcard all by itself. That spot: Tocumwal in New South Wales, where the regional weekend-long party sports not just multiple stages pumping out tunes in leafy surroundings, but also a bush spa. Having a soak between sets is worth entry alone. So far, 95 percent of Strawberry Fields' tickets have been snapped up — a huge feat that was achieved in a mere three hours — but more are going on sale from 9am on Tuesday, July 9. If you're lucky enough to secure your attendance from now, you won't be locking in a music-fuelled getaway across Friday, November 15–Sunday, November 17 sans lineup. The just-unveiled roster of acts is massive, including DJ EZ, KiNK, Daddy G from Massive Attack and Seun Keuti & Egypt 80 just for starters. Some will make the Wildlands stage their temporary home, such as Sam Alfred, SWIM, DJ Theo Parrish and DJ TSHA among the other names. Others, like Jaubi, KOKOKO! and Soichi Terada, will hit up The Grove stage. The Deep Jungle stage will welcome Circle of Live's Australian debut, plus DJ Paula Tape, Sébastien Léger and Township Rebellion. And over at expanded The Beach stage for 2024, which will indeed get you making shapes while in the river, Physical Therapy leads the charge. Also, a showcase from Japan's underground scene is sure to be a highlight. Beyond the tunes, a new amphitheatre is part of this year's fest, focusing on performance art, lifestyle and chilling out; the bush spa now boasts a sauna; and a special projection art installation will pay tribute to Nick Azidis. Also, the Moroccan Bedouin lounges and tea ceremonies will be running in the festival's Mirage Motel space again, plus the glamping options are back to make your weekend as lavish and as low-maintenance as possible. For another year, if you happen to be born on this year's festival dates, you can register to score a free ticket. Happy birthday to you indeed. Tickets for locals come at a discount, too, costing half the regular price if your postcode is in the Berrigan Shire. In addition to all of the above, Strawberry Fields lays claim to being one of the country's most-sustainable festivals, doing the environment a solid while unfurling its fun. It is powered by biodiesel fuel as well as solar power, its rewash revolution system has diverted over 200,000 single-use plastics from landfill, composting toilets are provided and all transport is carbon offset via Treecreds. Strawberry Fields 2024 Lineup: DJ Afrodisiac Aldonna Babycino Bertie Byron Yeates College of Knowledge DJs Daddy G (Massive Attack) x Don Letts Dameeeela DJ EZ DJ Pgz featuring Ecstatic Mob Dr Banana Ed Kent Emmyk & Tilly Hiroko Yamamura Jordan Brando B2B Luke Alessi Kia Kim Ann Foxmann Laura King Livwutang Lovefoxy Marie Montexier Mikalah Watego Minyerra Mothafunk Naycab Niks Nooriyah Paula Tape Physical Therapy Pnny Poli Pearl Rainbow Disco Club featuring Kikiorix, Sisi, Kuniyuki (live) Rona. B2B Dima Sam Alfred Sébastien Léger Simona Castricum Sky High Trio Soul Clap Stev Zar Suze Ijó SWIM Theo Parrish Township Rebellion TSHA U.R.Trax Vanna Zjoso Live Alisa Mitchell Cinta Circle of Live featuring Kuniyuki, Sebastian Mullaert and Sleep D Evening News Harvey Sutherland Immy Owusu Jaubi Jupita Kaiit Karo X Kee'ahn KiNK Kobie Dee Kokoko! Mandeng Groove Mildlife Miss Kaninna Pataphysics Sachém Sarita Mcharg Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 Sinj Clarke Soichi Terada Tarabeat x Mz Rizk Versace Boys Viken Armen Wulumbarra Xmunashe Zfex & Ausecuma Beats Zourouna [caption id="attachment_887378" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Will Hamilton-Coates[/caption] [caption id="attachment_887377" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Will Hamilton-Coates[/caption] Strawberry Fields 2024 will take place at Tocumwal, New South Wales, from Friday, November 15–Sunday, November 17. The final release of tickets go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, July 9. Head to the festival website for further details. Strawberry Fields images: Duncographic.
The Merri Creek Trail is a popular walking, running, biking and strolling track for many northside Melburnians. It's also home to collared sparrowhawks, eastern rosellas and plenty of ducks. You'll be pacing along Wurundjeri Country and it's a route full of nature. There are plenty of places to stop along the way — including community gardens, cafes and swimming pools. At 21 kilometres long, the trail extends from Dights Falls and the Capital City Trail in the south, to Western Ring Road in the north. The best part? You can tackle it all without crossing a single road. Follow the creek and pass the Coburg Lake Reserve, the Brunswick Velodrome and CERES Community Park, as well as garden spots, horse paddocks and sports ovals. Whether you head here on two wheels or two legs, there are a number of charming picnic spots along the trail that are perfect for a pitstop. Our tip: throw down a rug at the northern end, near the lush greens of Coburg Lake, and enjoy the serenity. Images: Brook James
Don't say that you don't have anything to watch between Friday, March 1–Monday, March 11, or that you've only got the usual couch-viewing options. Queer Screen's Mardi Gras Film Festival is back for 2024, which isn't just wonderful news for Sydney's cinephiles. Thanks to the event's returning online component, it's also ace for folks located outside of the Harbour City. A feast of queer cinema coming to your chosen small screen. As always, the lineup of movies that Sydneysiders can catch at MGFF's in-person sessions is far larger than its online program — but you can still join in from home no matter where in Australia you're located. For cinephiles watching on from the couch, choices include All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White, the Berlinale Teddy Award-winning love story about two men dealing with Nigeria's anti-gay laws; Mexico's All the Silence, centring on a CODA (child of deaf adults) and her girlfriend who is deaf; F.L.Y., which sees two exes living under the same roof during the pandemic; and Mutt, which won Lio Mehiel a Special Jury Award-winner at Sundance for their performance. Or, opt for drama Old Narcissus about getting older in Japan, with a 74-year-old children's author finding connection with a sex worker. You'll also be able to stream several shorts packages online, including sessions dedicated to Asia Pacific, comedy, gay, non-binary and gender diverse, queer horror, queer documentaries, transgender and sapphic films. The My Queer Career short film fest will hop online as well, featuring seven films competing for $16,000-plus in prizes.
Since 2016, the British royal family's ups and downs haven't just played out across newspaper headlines. They've also fuelled Netflix's hit drama The Crown. If you're fond of the streaming platform, regal intrigue and combining the two, then you're obviously a fan of the series — and you can now lock Wednesday, November 9 in your diary for your next date with the show. If this sounds familiar, that's because it was announced a year back that viewer would need to wait until November 2022 to watch season five of the series; however, Netflix has now revealed the exact premiere date. In focus in this batch of episodes: the royal family in the early to mid-1990s, including the breakdown of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage. As the series is known to, it's shaking up its cast with this leap forward. After starting out with Claire Foy (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain) as Queen Elizabeth II, Matt Smith (House of the Dragon) as Prince Philip and Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret (Pieces of a Woman) in its first two seasons, which aired in 2016 and 2017, the series returned in 2019 with Olivia Colman (Heartstopper), Tobias Menzies (This Way Up) and Helena Bonham Carter (Enola Holmes) in those roles. Plus, it added Josh O'Connor (Mothering Sunday) as Prince Charles — and, in season four in 2020, Emma Corrin (Misbehaviour) and The X-Files icon Gillian Anderson joined the cast as Lady Diana Spencer and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, respectively. When season five premieres in a few months, Downton Abbey, Maleficent and Paddington star Imelda Staunton will don the titular headwear, while Game of Thrones and Tales from the Loop's Jonathan Pryce will step into Prince Philip's shoes — and Princess Margaret will be played by Staunton's Maleficent co-star and Phantom Thread Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville. Also, Australian Tenet, The Burnt Orange Heresy and Widows star Elizabeth Debicki plays Princess Diana, with The Wire and The Pursuit of Love's Dominic West as Prince Charles. Netflix also dropped its first sneak peek at The Crown's fifth season as part of Tudum: A Netflix Global Fan Event — the streaming platform's big unveiling of everything set to hit your queue in coming months. The first teaser does indeed focus on Charles and Diana, and the tension between them as their separation is announced. Season five will arrive two months after Queen Elizabeth II's death in early September, and following a pause in the show's production afterwards. News around the show's fifth and sixth seasons, which'll follow the monarch into the 2000s, has changed a few times over the past few years. At the beginning of 2020, Netflix announced that it would end the royal drama after its fifth season. Then, the streaming platform had a change of heart, revealing it would continue the series for a sixth season after all. The first teaser for The Crown's fifth season is only available as part of Tudum: A Netflix Global Fan Event, at around 20 minutes in — you can check it out below: The Crown's fifth season will hit Netflix on Wednesday, November 9. Images: Keith Bernstein / Alex Bailey / Netflix
Think of a New York-set or -shot movie or TV show, and odds are that it probably featured the Waldorf Astoria. Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums filmed there, for one. Sex and the City did as well. Booking in a luxe stay within its stately confines might be high on your travel bucket list as a result — but come 2025, you'll be able to enjoy the Waldorf Astoria experience right here in Australia. Adding to its 30-plus sites around the world — including in Las Vegas, Cancun, Beijing, Berlin, Bangkok and the Maldives, to name a selection of spots — the hotel brand is setting up shop in Sydney in just a few years. Set to tower over Circular Quay, it'll be the Hilton-owned chain's first-ever Aussie location. It'll also join the lineup of six Waldorf Astoria properties in the Asia-Pacific region. [caption id="attachment_849250" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel[/caption] So, whether you're Sydneysider now dreaming of an indulgent staycation or you hail from elsewhere but you're always looking for an excuse to visit the New South Wales capital, you'll have a new place to spend a lavish night (or several). And, given the location — at One Circular Quay, 1 Alfred Street — you'll be able to lap up impressive vistas over the Harbour Bridge and Opera House while you're there. Now under construction, Waldorf Astoria Sydney will feature 220 rooms — 179 guest rooms and 41 suites — across its 28-floor expanse. Also a huge highlight: two new restaurants, the Waldorf Astoria Spa on level one, and the central gathering space that the brand has dubbed 'Peacock Alley' at its sites around the globe, which'll come complete with the Waldorf Astoria clock. Plus, to truly take advantage of the views, the hotel will also include a rooftop bar — and yes, peering out over the harbour here will be a given. Design-wise, Tokyo-based firm Kengo Kuma & Associates is doing the honours alongside the Sydney-based Crone Architects; expect a luxurious look that'll "artfully blend contemporary living with cutting-edge design," according to the statement announcing the hotel. "As the first Waldorf Astoria property to debut in Australia, Waldorf Astoria Sydney signals Hilton's commitment to expanding our luxury portfolio to the world's most sought-after destinations," said Hilton Chief Brand Officer Matt Schuyler. "Our highly personalised, elegant service and iconic environments are at the heart of every hotel, and we look forward to delivering unforgettable experiences to our guests in Sydney." Waldorf Astoria Sydney is one of 20 new hotels that the chain is set to open around the globe — so if you get accustomed to the brand's deluxe stays once it opens its doors locally, you'll have plenty of additional sites worldwide to add to your must-visit list. The Waldorf Astoria is due to open at One Circular Quay, 1 Alfred Street, Sydney, sometime in 2025 — we'll update you with further details when they're announced. Top image: Waldorf Astoria Beijing.
Located just a few doors down from Entrecôte, Hopper Joint – the Sri Lankan restaurant in Prahran from Jason M Jones (Caboodle & Co and Entrecôte) and designer Braham Perera – champions the humble hopper. These light and crispy bowl-shaped pancakes are a staple of Sri Lankan cuisine. At Hopper Joint, they're made to order in the 80-seat restaurant's open kitchen, giving diners a chance to see the dedication and skill that goes into constructing these delicate shells. Head Chef Ronith Victor Arlikatti (ex-Sunda and Marion) leans on the experience of Perera, Jones and Jason Rodwell (Executive Chef of Caboodle & Co) to create a carefully considered food offering. They have adapted family recipes handed down through generations, deciding when to stay traditional and when to add more contemporary flourishes. Apart from hoppers, there's also a tight selection of curries, sambols, street food snacks and desserts. The team has worked hard to infuse the dining experience with Sri Lankan culture beyond what's on the plate. Punters are encouraged to eat with their hands, and are directed to the communal washbasin and a commissioned artwork by Edwina Thomson illustrating the 'how-to' of eating hoppers. Each table also gets an antique brass bell, a nod to Sri Lankan customs, that, if misused, incurs a 'fine'. Ring the bell when it's inappropriate (to be honest, we aren't entirely sure what constitutes an appropriate time for ringing it), and you'll be asked to donate some cash to a charity of Hopper Joint's choosing. Perera has designed the space, which feels like stepping into a traditional colonial bungalow high up in the Tea Country of southern Sri Lanka. It's filled with rattan seating and fans, amber glassware and chandeliers, timber shutters, and blood-red cork floors. Jones and Perera have been working on Hopper Joint for over eight years, spending this time collecting decor as well as fine-tuning the menu and atmosphere they've been wanting to get just right. Hopper Joint can be found at 157 Greville Street, Prahran, open Monday–Thursday from 5pm till late, and Friday–Sunday from 12–2.45pm and 5pm till late. For more information, head to the venue's website. Images: Annika Kafcaloudi
Even if you're not much of a fast food fan, odds are that you've heard about McDonald's Szechuan sauce. It was originally released in 1998 as a tie-in with Disney's original animated Mulan, then became internet famous almost two decades later after being name-dropped in Rick and Morty. In fact, in the animated series, Rick was so determined to get hold of the dipping sauce that he didn't care if it took "nine seasons" or "97 more years". You might've felt the same way, actually, as it hasn't been on the Macca's menu in Australia. Until now, that is. McDonald's is finally bringing the coveted condiment our way — all as part of a new limited-edition four-sauce range. It'll hit the menu at the Golden Arches from Wednesday, July 6–Tuesday, July 19, alongside the return of Macca's Cajun sauce (a blend of Dijon mustard, vinegar, honey and spices). That's two of the four special condiments covered. The other two won't be revealed until sometime in July. But, if you're keen to get a taste before they hit stores, Macca's is also running a sauce quest. What's a sauce quest? It's a three-day sauce hunt, all digital, which'll get you sleuthing to find clues — and win IRL sauce. From 9am on Tuesday, June 28, McDonald's will be putting up hidden sauce splatters online, which you'll need to find to go into the draw to nab a personal stash of its limited-edition sauces. To take part, you'll want to keep an eye on the chain's socials — and follow the hints from there. New to the whole Szechuan sauce frenzy? It's a mix of soy sauce, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. And, the last time that McDonald's re-released the much-hyped McNugget condiment in America, the demand outweighed supply. In the US, fans queued for hours, one person traded their Volkswagen and another paid almost US$15,000 for one measly pottle. Rick and Morty's legion of devotees were clearly keen for a taste — and condiment hysteria took flight. In 2020, it was also made available at the global fast-food brand's stores in New Zealand for a limited time. McDonald's Szechuan sauce will be available nationwide from Wednesday, July 6–Tuesday, July 19, alongside its Cajun sauce. Two more limited-edition sauces will follow, with details revealed in July.
Sure, you're well familiar with the State Library of Victoria's impressive facade, rising majestically over Swanston Street, but how often do you venture inside? There's enough within the building to keep you entertained for hours. Start with the six-storey reading room, devouring pages and exploring the shelves beneath the stunning, domed ceiling. After that, take in one of the library's thought-provoking free exhibitions, currently covering everything from the library's rarest and most beautiful tomes, to Angel Lynkushka's portrait series of Gippsland Aboriginal Elders, artists and leaders.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. DUNE 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 cinemas, 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. 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. Blade Runner 2049 ruminated upon a similar idea in its own way, as many movies do. Indeed, Ridley Scott was hired to helm Dune before Lynch, then made the original Blade Runner instead, so Villeneuve is following him again here. Dune's unpacking of dominance and command piles on colonial oppression, authoritarianism, greed, ecological calamity and religious fervour, though, like it's building a sandcastle out of power's nastiest ramifications. And, amid that weightiness, it's also a tale of a moody teen with mind-control abilities struggling with what's expected versus what's right. That young man is Paul Atreides, as played by Timothée Chalamet in a stroke of genius casting that seems almost fated — as if returning Dune to the big screen had to wait for the Call Me By Your Name star. (The book also earned the TV miniseries treatment in 2000, and we should be thankful that a 90s iteration soundtracked by the Spice Girls' 'Spice Up Your Life' didn't ever eventuate.) When the narrative begins in Villeneuve and co-screenwriters Jon Spaihts (Prometheus) and Eric Roth's (A Star Is Born) retelling, Paul's life has been upended. House Atreides, led by his father Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac, Scenes From a Marriage), must leave its watery home planet of Caladan to take over the desert world of Arrakis. Previously run by their enemies in House Harkonnen, it's the source of the universe's melange stores, with the spice making interstellar travel possible. Spice also expands consciousness and extends lives — and, while forced by imperial decree, the monstrous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård, Chernobyl) isn't happy about handing Arrakis over. To say House Atreides' move doesn't go smoothly is like saying that its new home is a tad toasty, but the tricky transition is just one of Dune's concerns. Another: the plans for Paul. House Atreides' heir, he's being trained as such by the Duke, security expert Thufir Hawat (Stephen McKinley Henderson, Devs), swordmaster Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa, Aquaman) and weaponry whiz Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin, Avengers: Endgame). But Paul's mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson, Reminiscence) hails from the Bene Gesserit, an all-female group who pull the galaxy's strings, and she sees him as its fabled chosen one. Read our full review. THE CARD COUNTER Another Paul Schrader film, another lonely man thrust under a magnifying glass as he wrestles with the world, his place in it and his sense of morality. The acclaimed filmmaker has filled the screen with such characters and stories for more than half a century — intense tales of men who would not take it anymore — as evidenced in his screenplays for Martin Scorsese's brilliant Taxi Driver and Bringing Out the Dead, and also in his own directorial efforts such as Light Sleeper and First Reformed. You can't accuse Schrader of always making the same movie, however, as much as his work repeatedly bets on the same ideas. Instead, his films feel like cards from the same deck. Each time he deals one out, it becomes part of its own hand, as gambling drama The Card Counter demonstrates with potency, smarts and a gripping search for salvation. The film's title refers to William 'Tell' Tillich (Oscar Isaac, Dune), who didn't ever plan to spend his days in casinos and his nights in motels. But during an eight-year stint in military prison, he taught himself a new skill that he's been capitalising upon after his release. His gambit: winning modest scores from small-scale casinos. If he doesn't take the house, the house won't discipline his card-counting prowess. The money keeps him moving, but each gambling den could be the same for all that Tell cares. His motel-room routine, which involves removing all artwork from the walls, making the bed with his own linen, and covering every other surface and item with carefully tied cloth — making each space as identical as it can be, and resemble incarceration — lingers between fierce self-discipline and a stifled cry for help. Assistance arrives in two forms, not that Tell is looking or particularly receptive to having other people in his life. The regimented status quo he's carved out so meticulously is first punctured by fellow gambler-turned-agent La Linda (Tiffany Haddish, Like a Boss), who backs other punters and believes they should team up to profit big on the poker circuit. That'd bring Tell more visibility than he'd like, but it'd also increase his pay days, which would come in handy for his second new acquaintance. In Atlantic City, he meets the college-aged Cirk (Tye Sheridan, Voyagers), who has proposes a quest for revenge. Tell shares a grim past with Cirk's dad, and the twentysomething wants to punish the retired major-turned-security expert (William Dafoe, The Lighthouse) that he holds responsible — which Tell is eager to discourage. Isaac doesn't ask his reflection if it's looking in his direction. And, given that The Card Counter joins a filmography overflowing with exceptional performances — including Scenes From a Marriage already this year — it won't define his career as Taxi Driver did for a young Robert De Niro. Still, it's the highest compliment to mention the two in the same breath. At every moment, this blistering film is anchored by Isaac's phenomenal portrayal, which is quiet, slippery and weighty all at once. As conveyed with a calculating glare that's as slick as his brushed-back hair, here is a man who dons a calm facade to mask the storm brewing inside, revels in routine to avoid facing change, and anaesthetises his pain and past deeds with the repetition he's made his daily existence. Here is a man desperate to paper over his inner rot with time spent amid meaningless gloss, preferring to feel empty than to feel anything else, until he has an innocent to try to save and a clear-cut way to rally against the soulless world. Read our full review. ENCANTO Five years after Lin-Manuel Miranda and Disney first teamed up on an animated musical with the catchiest of tunes, aka Moana, they're back at it again with Encanto. To viewers eager for another colourful, thoughtful and engaging film — and another that embraces a particular culture with the heartiest of hugs, and is all the better for it — what can the past decade's most influential composer and biggest entertainment behemoth say except you're welcome? Both the Hamilton mastermind and the Mouse House do what they do best here. The songs are infectious, as well as diverse in style; the storyline follows a spirited heroine challenging the status quo; and the imagery sparkles. Miranda and Disney are both in comfortable territory, in fact — formulaic, sometimes — but Encanto never feels like they're monotonously beating the same old drum. Instruments are struck, shaken and otherwise played in the film's soundtrack, of course, which resounds with energetic earworms; the salsa beats of 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' are especially irresistible, and the Miranda-penned hip hop wordplay that peppers the movie's tunes is impossible to mentally let go. Spanning pop, ballads and more, all those songs help tell the tale of the Madrigals, a close-knit Colombian family who've turned generational trauma into magic. This is still an all-ages-friendly Disney flick, so there are limits to how dark it's willing to get; however, that Encanto fills its frames with a joyous celebration of Latin America and simultaneously recognises its setting's history of conflict is hugely significant. It also marks Walt Disney Animation Studios' 60th feature — dating back to 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — but its cultural specificity (depictions of Indigenous, Afro Latino and Colombian characters of other ethnicities included) is its bigger achievement. The focal point of their jungle-surrounded village, the Madrigals are the local version of superheroes. They live in an enchanted home, complete with a magical candle that's burned for three generations, and they each receive special powers when they come of age. The latter wasn't the case for Encanto's heroine Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), though, and that absence of exceptional abilities has left the bespectacled teen feeling like an outcast. Plus, with her young cousin Antonio (Ravi Cabot-Conyers, #BlackAF) now going through the ceremony, Mirabel's perceived failings linger afresh in everyone's minds. But then la casita, as their supernatural home is known, starts cracking — the flame begins to flicker as well, as everyone's powers waver with it — and it looks like only its most ordinary inhabitant can save the day. Encanto doesn't refer to the Madrigals by any term you'd hear in a Marvel movie, but the imprint of Disney's hit franchise remains evident. Thankfully, director Byron Howard (Tangled), and co-writers/co-helmers Charise Castro Smith (Sweetbitter) and Jared Bush (Zootopia) have sprinkled in a few fun abilities — because mixing up a template sits high among the feature's powers, even when those generic underlying pieces can still be gleaned. Accordingly, one of Mirabel's sisters, Luisa (Jessica Darrow, Feast of the Seven Fishes), is super strong, but the other, Isabela (Diane Guerrero, Doom Patrol), makes flowers blossom with her loveliness. Similarly, while their aunt Pepa (Carolina Gaitán, The Greatest Showman) controls the weather, their mother Julieta (Angie Cepeda, Jane the Virgin) heals through cooking. Read our full review. THE LOST LEONARDO Art of either great or dubious origins. Airport facilities where items can be stored — art masterpieces included — without their owners abiding by taxation rules. Both played parts in Christopher Nolan's Tenet; however, it's no longer the only recent thriller to include the two. The Lost Leonardo doesn't feature a phenomenal heist of a disputed piece from a freeport, but it is as tense and suspenseful as its 2020 predecessor. It also tells a 100-percent true tale about the artwork dubbed the 'male Mona Lisa'. Exploring the story of the Salvator Mundi, a painting of Jesus that may hail from Leonardo da Vinci, this documentary is filled with developments far wilder and stranger than fiction (sorry not sorry Dan Brown). And while there's little that's astonishing about the film's talking heads-meets-recreations approach, it still couldn't be more riveting. Although the Salvator Mundi itself is thought to date to the 15th century, The Lost Leonardo only jumps back as far as 2005. That's when the High Renaissance-era piece was sold for US$1175, and when Alexander Parrish and Robert Simon, art dealers eager to dig up sleepers — works from renowned masters that've been mislabelled or misattributed — suspected there might be more to it. The pair tasked restorer Dianne Modestini with tending to the heavily overpainted and damaged work, which revealed otherwise unseen details in the process. Cue a now-prevailing theory: that the Salvator Mundi sprung from da Vinci's hands. That's a shattering revelation given that, despite the prominence that the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper enjoy, the list of surviving works attributed to da Vinci barely hits 20 — and that's with questions lingering over his involvement in quite a few. Uncovering one of his previously unknown paintings was always going to be huge as a result; locating it in such a way, and for so cheap, only bolsters the extraordinary tale. Debates over the painting's provenance have continued for the past 16 years, although that's not the only reason that The Lost Leonardo exists. The piece has increased in fame over the last decade thanks to two factors, including the Salvator Mundi's inclusion in a 2011–12 da Vinci exhibition at the National Gallery, London, placing it alongside the author's accepted works — and its sale for US$75 million in 2013, then for US$127.5 million, and finally again in 2017 for a whopping US$450.3 million. Its unglamorous discovery, the ongoing argument over authenticity, the legitimacy gained by exhibiting in one of the world's most influential galleries, that it's now the most expensive painting ever sold: these details are unpacked and analysed by writer/director Andreas Koefoed (At Home in the World) via his array of interviewees — and so is the fact that, when that mind-blowing sale occurred, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the secretive buyer. It's little wonder that the filmmaker has chosen to unfurl the ins and outs of these remarkable events as if he's joining the dots and puzzling together the pieces right in front of viewers' eyes, making The Lost Leonardo a detective story of a doco. It isn't a new approach, let alone a unique or unusual one, but it savvily relies upon the combined force of a ripping yarn and rollicking storytelling. Read our full review. THE HAND OF GOD For anyone that's ever watched a Paolo Sorrentino film and noticed his fascination with breasts, The Hand of God has the answers. It explains why the director behind The Great Beauty, Youth and Loro — and TV's The Young Pope and The New Pope, too — took to his chosen career as well, and why his features frequently feel pinpoint-accurate when they're either at their most sorrowful or their funniest. And, if he was ever to make a Diego Maradona biopic, the reasons why are also laid out. Sorrentino's latest drama takes its name from the Argentinian soccer superstar's infamous move during a 1986 World Cup match, where he used his hand to score a goal, wasn't penalised and helped win the game. Based on the filmmaker's own adolescence, it also tells of a time when the player was a deity to the not-yet-film-obsessed future Italian cinema great. First, those boobs: they belong to Patrizia (Luisa Ranieri, La vita promessa), aunt of teenager Fabietto Schiesi (Filippo Scotti, Luna Nera), Sorrentino's on-screen surrogate. She isn't shy — sunbathing nude on family boat trips and calling him over to hand her a towel — and the boy is obsessed to the point of chatting about it with his wannabe-actor elder brother Marchino (Marlon Joubert, Romulus). He's also fixated on Maradona's possible move to SSC Napoli, his local team, although that's a family-wide passion. At home with his mother Maria (Teresa Saponangelo, Porcelain) and father Saveria (Sorrentino regular Toni Servillo), and at get-togethers with all of his relatives, it's a frequent topic of conversation. But then a summer takes a turn for the tragic and, thanks to his devotion to Maradona, he's spared — but also caught adrift. For a filmmaker who often lets his excesses guide his frames, The Hand of God sees Sorrentino in a softer mode. The naked female skin remains, the dips into lavish visual extravagance and the eye-catching use of dolly shots as well — plus his penchant for following in Federico Fellini's footsteps, which also manifests when Fabietto tags along with Marchino to audition for the iconic figure — but this is Sorrentino at his most reflective and poignant. Bringing your most painful memory to the screen and sifting through all the complicated feelings it evokes will do that, understandably. Indeed, when Fabietto meets another real-life filmmaker, Antonio Capuano (played by Veleno's Ciro Capano), and says he wants "an imaginary life, like the one I had before" rather than his curent sea of hurt, Sorrentino reveals exactly why The Hand of God and his whole cinema career exists. It may start with a striking flight of fantasy involving a limousine and a small monk, but this is an affectionate and intimate family portrait, as populated with a wonderfully detailed central quartet. It's also a tender and touching coming-of-age story that's equally about sexual awakenings, farewelling childhood and confronting the worst that a teen can face, too. And, it's a movie layered with details about the tidbits that shape us in moments big and small, be it sport or friends or family practical jokes, and it always feels personal. As always, Sorrentino guides wonderful performances out of his cast — along with his striking cinematic eye, its long been one of his best filmic traits — and The Hand of God is never better than when Scotti, Joubert, Saponangelo and Servillo light up the screen together. BACK TO THE OUTBACK Joining the lengthy list of all-ages-friendly animated flicks that preach the importance of being yourself and not judging others on appearance (see also: Encanto and Ron's Gone Wrong), Back to the Outback hits screens with two differences. This overly glossy film is set in Australia, and sports the Aussie voice cast to prove it — Eric Bana, Isla Fisher, Jacki Weaver, Miranda Tapsell, Tim Minchin, Guy Pearce and even Kylie Minogue — while focusing on our native critters. Here, no one should assume a koala is nice, for instance. Fearing spiky, snapping and slithering creatures is similarly frowned upon. That's an immensely well-worn life lesson for kids, and also echoes with cognitive dissonance. When the animals in question are crocodiles, snakes and spiders, wanting them to be your next Finding Nemo or Finding Dory-style pet is hardly the best choice. Misreading how children will likely respond to the movie — begging for their own creatures, rather than taking a message they've already heard countless times to heart yet again — is one of Back to the Outback's many missteps. It smacks of trying to give a by-the-numbers formula a local spin but not thinking it through, a feeling that's also evoked elsewhere in the movie. Take its Steve Irwin-esque zookeeper Chaz Hunt (Bana, The Dry), who plays like a mean-spirited parody, and is the villain of the piece. Again, it must've been a quick decision to caricature Irwin and, while that choice is eventually grounded in the script, it really just seems like the easiest shorthand to make the movie more stereotypically Aussie. In the same vein, Chaz also mentions Vegemite and budgy smugglers when he's not uttering "crikey", unsurprisingly. He dons khaki and hosts wildlife shows at his Sydney zoo, too, which is where taipan Maddie (Fisher, Godmothered), funnel web spider Frank (Pearce, Mare of Easttown), scorpion Nigel (Angus Imrie, Emma) and thorny devil Zoe (Tapsell, Top End Wedding) all live — but koala Pretty Boy (Minchin, Upright) is the star of the show. That truth hits home for the sensitive Maddie when she makes her public debut and is called a monster because of her venom, while the cute and cuddly PB is a viral sensation the world over. Maternal croc Jackie (Weaver, Penguin Bloom) counsels not to take it all personally, although that's obviously easier said than done. So is the escape plan to flee the zoo and head back to the outback in search of her family — and yes, the film does utter its title in dialogue. Directed by Clare Knight (The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part's editor) and Harry Cripps (screenwriter of The Dry and Penguin Bloom, and also this), Back to the Outback hails from the distraction-filled school of family-centric filmmaking. Think: expensive and overt needle drops that add nothing to the story, but will keep kids bopping ('Bad Guy' is one such choice here); and a need to pack in as many flimsy jokes as possible in the hope that some will stick and, even if they don't, that they'll all keep viewers moving onto the next thing split-seconds later. Also high among its grating traits is an evident lack of understanding that great stories rather than half-baked sight gags and onslaughts of colour and movement make all-ages filmmaking special. Oh, and Back to the Outback's overemphasis on celebrity voicework is just as testing, as is that aforementioned heavy-handed messaging. SIT. STAY. LOVE. As Netflix keeps reminding its subscribers each and every festive season, Christmas rom-coms aren't usually known for their style, substance or depth. Instead, the most stereotypical flicks in the genre tend to favour cheese and cliches decked out in seasonal trimmings, and are designed to be consumed as easily and undemandingly as possible. They're the brandy custard of the cinema world, or the candy canes used to stuff stockings. Filler is a great way to describe the Hallmark-style fare that keeps getting churned out, too. Releasing in cinemas but surely destined to settle into a streaming platform's end-of-year roster in the future, Sit. Stay. Love is one such movie. And, while it gleefully owns all of its tropes — and all that Christmas packaging — that isn't the same as giving viewers a present. Festive-themed romantic-comedy meets animal-centric heartstring-tugger: even with an Eat Pray Love-knockoff of a title, that's the recipe here. Christmas brings people together, cute critters do as well, and Sit. Stay. Love doesn't hide either the formula at work or how blatantly it's splicing together two well-worn templates. The Australian-made film is better at getting a Gold Coast studio to stand in for Vermont in the thick of winter — because that's how firmly the movie embraces cookie-cutter Christmas flick inclusions, requisite snowy backdrop and all. Director Tori Garrett (Don't Tell) has nowhere near the same success in presenting the Australian cast as American, though, adding unconvincing accents to the feature's sack of struggles. As paint-by-numbers as it is, there's still wholesome potential in Sit. Stay. Love's premise, as penned by veteran sitcom writer Holly Hester (Ellen, Grace Under Fire, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Drew Carey Show). Overachiever Annie (Georgia Flood, American Princess) has returned to New England after a stint building a school in Nepal, but the aid worker still needs to keep herself busy — lest she actually spend meaningful time with her dad (Anthony Phelan, The Nightingale) and come to terms with her mother's death in the process. When the local animal rescue charity looks set to go under, her solution is to help save it, and to try to find homes for three of its dogs. But that isn't enough of a feel-good setup, so Sit. Stay. Love also has Annie flirtatiously banter with her old debating nemesis, Dylan (Ezekiel Simat, Back to the Rafters), who's now the town vet. The schmaltz falls as thick as snow, the dialogue is trite and no one's putting in their best performance. They're all hallmarks of exactly this kind of Christmas movie, as is the complete absence of surprises served up by the plot. Still, simply adhering to a terrible pattern shouldn't be any feature's biggest strength, even in a genre as padded out and merrily content to always stick to the obvious as seasonal rom-coms. Festive flicks have a built-in recourse to criticism — if you don't like them, you must be a grinch, or so the accusation goes — but saying bah humbug to cloying movies shouldn't stop at any time of the year. The dogs are adorable, at least, but that was always going to be a given. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on August 5, August 12, August 19 and August 26; September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; and November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25. For Sydney specifically, you can take a look at out our rundown of new films that released in Sydney cinemas when they reopened on October 11, and what opened on October 14, October 21 and October 28 as well. And for Melbourne, you can check out our top picks from when outdoor cinemas reopened on October 22 — and from when indoor cinemas did the same on October 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn.
Fans of The Night Cat can breathe a sigh of relief, as the much-loved Fitzroy live music venue has won its months-long legal battle centred around a soundproofing complaint. As reported in The Age, The Night Cat faced imminent closure after developer C&R Building Pty Ltd sought an enforcement order against the venue, claiming it exceeded permitted noise emission levels. After the issue went to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), The Night Cat was compelled to improve its soundproofing standards significantly, facing the risk of closure. Yet when the stand-off came to light earlier this year, it sparked fiery debate in the inner north, mainly because the 10-storey residential and office complex supposedly impacted by the noise had yet to be built. Faced with the venue's demise, The Night Cat owner Justin Stanford launched a crowdfunding campaign, seeking the $60,000 required for soundproofing upgrades. With the campaign successful, the independent operator installed advanced sound monitoring equipment, implemented a range of sound-limiting strategies and hired expert acousticians to prove the venue was compliant with demands. Now, the VCAT decision has been cancelled after the venue proved it was operating within its permit conditions. With the venue's noise issues seemingly resolved, Stanford is advocating for lawmakers to tighten the loophole that contributed to The Night Cat's legal concerns. Intended to protect live music venues from noise complaints, the Victorian state government introduced 'agent of change' provisions in 2014, requiring new residential planning proposals to include appropriate noise attenuation measures. Speaking to The Age, Stanford said lawyers had found ways to exploit a loophole in these provisions, shifting the onus of noise compliance back on the venue. "The [rules are] not protecting us in the way that they used to," he said. "If the laws were effective in protecting venues, we wouldn't have had to do this. The developer would have had to pay for the soundproofing." While it appears The Night Cat has been successful in its noise fight, it's just the latest in a series of conflicts between developers, residents and live music venues, both in Melbourne and around Australia. In Perth, the Freo.Social is battling against noise complaints from an adjacent hotel — claiming construction is killing culture — while the owner of Sydney's The Great Club shut the live music venue down after an extended noise complaint battle with nearby residents. The Night Cat remains open at 137-141 Johnston St, Fitzroy.
Need an easy escape? Pencil in a weekend getaway at Chadstone in Melbourne – the ultimate destination for a mini holiday – where a range of luxury brands, amazing eateries and fun activities are waiting for you. Whether you're short on time or just feeling like a unique shopping experience, Chadstone has it all. The Social Quarter A weekend getaway at Chadstone starts with entertainment, and The Social Quarter is where you'll find it. The latest addition to the shopping centre's existing drinking, dining and entertainment destinations has something for everyone. From arcades and bowling to breweries, indulgent Italian eateries and our personal favourite – the Hijinx Hotel, an immersive venue combining a quirky New York Hotel with 10 game rooms – the first of its kind in Victoria. You could easily spend hours here, and we don't blame you. Some of the top spots for a drink include the Urban Alley Brewery, a sustainable craft brewery with a laidback vibe, or the award-winning Dasher + Fisher Gin Distillery Bar. For food, don't go past Cinque Terre, serving up traditional Italian cuisine from the sea and land of Liguria, Italy. And be sure to save room for dessert at Piccolina Gelateria, which is known for hand-crafted natural Italian gelato. Retail Therapy Sans-Stress Chadstone boasts a range of retailers, from luxury labels like Louis Vuitton to beloved Aussie brands like Aje, offering a shopping experience like no other. If you prefer to shop in style, you can make the most of the hands-free shopping service, which means you can shop as much as you like without having to lug your purchases back to the car. Simply show the store staff your SMS which provides a unique Tag ID, then click on the link provided to let the Valet Parking team know how many bags you want collected. They will then be waiting for you at your selected centre collection location. This is also an inclusive service as part of Valet Parking, so all you have to do is rock up. The Market Pavillion Opening Thursday, 27 March, Chadstone's newest addition is set to be abuzz with activity. Here, you can do all your shopping for fresh ingredients, pick up some grab-and-go meals or sit down for a meal. A place to shop, share, learn and indulge. What more could you want? Personal Styling Chadstone also offers personal styling services. Take some of the load off and keep the good vibes going as a stylist tags alongside you, offering a refreshingly stress-free shopping experience that will leave you feeling relaxed and confident that your fashion picks are the right ones. Overnight Stays After all the fun, you can't help but start to feel tired by the end of it. Luckily, you can recharge close by at the Hotel Chadstone Melbourne MGallery. Offering luxe accommodation, modern rooms and an indoor pool just a stone's throw away from the shopping centre, we can't think of a better way to round out a day spent exploring all that Chadstone has to offer. Come to think of it, with so much under one roof, why not make it a girls' (or boys' – no stereotypes here) weekend? Chadstone is the ideal spot for a group getaway. Just think – a day full of shopping, pampering and dining with friends – it's the perfect little escape from the daily grind. So what are you waiting for? Plan your next mini-holiday with a Weekend Getaway at Chadstone today. Images: Supplied.
As much of the TV-watching world is, Ashley Zukerman is a Succession fan. Unlike almost everyone else, however, his affection was partly built from inside of the award-winning series. In a recurring role across the HBO masterpiece's four seasons, he played political strategist Nate Sofrelli, whose past romantic relationship with Shiv Roy — portrayed by fellow Australian Sarah Snook (Memoir of a Snail) — kept spilling over into their present professional and personal spheres. But "there was periods where I didn't know if I was coming back", Zukerman tells Concrete Playground, "and there were periods where I just became more fan than part of it". A role in one of the best TV shows of the 21st century, plus a range of others in fellow international fare — big-screen horror-western The Wind and drama Language Arts; television's A Teacher, The Lost Symbol and City on Fire; and the three straight-to-streaming Fear Street movies among them — kept Zukerman away from home for years. Then In Vitro, an Aussie sci-fi thriller that premiered at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival and hit local cinemas in general release on Thursday, March 27, 2025, came his way. Before this, he hadn't worked on a homegrown project since 2017's The Easybeats miniseries Friday on My Mind. Prior to that, he'd hopped between the Australian and Aussie-made likes of The Pacific, Rush, Terra Nova, Underbelly and The Code, and Manhattan, Fear the Walking Dead, Masters of Sex and Designated Survivor overseas. Starring in In Vitro eventuated because he initially met two of the film's co-writers and fellow actors, Will Howarth (who also co-directs with Tom McKeith) and Talia Zucker, in Los Angeles when they were all stateside endeavouring to establish their careers. Due to release timing, audiences who didn't catch In Vitro on its 2024 festival run will have seen Zukerman pop up in homegrown efforts in Aussie limited series Apple Cider Vinegar first, earlier in 2025. Later this year, he also has Australian-made, New Year's Eve-set time-travel film One More Shot heading to Stan. Only In Vitro has him playing a cattle breeder in an eerie vision of the potential near future, though — a livestock farmer experimenting with biotechnology in a world, and an industry, decimated by the climate crisis and struggling to adapt to the new reality. As Jack, husband to Zucker's (Motel Acacia) Layla, Howarth (Toolies) and McKeith's (Beast) movie also tasks Zukerman with exploring the distance that clearly lingers in the the feature's central marriage, digging into the source of Jack and Layla's domestic disharmony, and unpacking the impact of controlling relationships. More than two decades have now passed since Zukerman's initial screen role, also in an Australian film, with playing Thug #2 in Tom White his debut performance. Looking back on it, "so that was my first-ever thing, and I hadn't gone to the Victorian College of the Arts yet. I had no idea what I was doing", he advises. "My family, no one in my family, was in creative industries at all. I was just trying to brute-force my way through, trying to get headshots and making cold calls and just trying", Zukerman continues. "And then when that called and I got a role, I thought it was the craziest thing in the world. Then I get there and I do it, and I'm in a scene with Colin Friels [Interceptor] and Dan Spielman [Black Snow], who I ended up playing brothers with in The Code years later. And I thought that was just very, very special at the time. Dan was on, I think, The Secret Life of Us, and Colin Friels on Water Rats, and they were heroes of mine at the time. And then to be able to revisit that with Dan years later as, I guess, equals, was very special." [caption id="attachment_997134" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, David Russell/HBO[/caption] From the outside, the success that Zukerman has enjoyed over the last few years with Succession, Fear Street, City on Fire, A Teacher, The Lost Symbol and more seems huge. It is huge. He's also added Apple TV+'s Silo to his resume. For him, however, "it hasn't felt huge, but I don't think I necessarily ever have that feeling of looking at things from the outside", he reflects. "From the inside, I'd say that it's felt really fun. I know that the thing I love most is when I love the project and I feel like I'm close to the coalface of something. I thought that they were all great projects, and so that has been fun." "You're right, it's been a really nice few years, and it felt comfortable," Zukerman goes on. "I guess I'll say I've just never really stressed work. I've always known things will come, and I've always been aware that if I'm not chosen for something that it's because the person, the artist in charge of it, just doesn't need my specific colour, my specific paintbrush, and so I've never really sweated it if things haven't come to me. But the last couple of years, it's just been really enjoyable to just work on special things — and to be able to have a continuous run of that, I do feel very full now. I'm not someone who enjoys acting all the time, I don't necessarily love the experience, but I do love it when I feel that there are certain elements there, and I've been on a run projects now where those elements were largely there. It has been a really fun few years for that." From what excited Zukerman about In Vitro, his read on his complicated character and the research that went into his performance, to farewelling Succession, returning home and his initial acting dream, our chat with Zukerman covers them all — and more — as well. On What Excited Zukerman About In Vitro, and About Making His First Australian Project Since Friday on My Mind "So I knew Tahlia and Will. I'd known them before. We all met in LA when we were all younger and hustling out there. It was just this coffee shop that we all ended up frequenting, and that's where we got to know each other. It was during the pandemic that they sent the script and said 'we've been working on this, we've been thinking about you for it'. And I read it and I thought 'wow'. And I was honoured that they thought of me for it. But I thought that they had done something just really special. I think that the horror genre or the thriller genre is interesting when it's used to explore other themes. And so the thriller part of it didn't necessarily pop for me, but I thought that they were able to thread together some nuanced questions about a few issues that we're dealing with in the world, and finding a connection between them — with the climate crisis; domestic violence; how we use tech to brute-force our way through solutions; and how some people in our world don't really care about our world or the natural world or each other as the actual life that exists in it, but just what they can take from it. And I think that they were able to thread all those ideas in a very nuanced way, offering something new to the questions of 'what do we do in this world?' and 'how are we going to deal with all of these issues we have?'. The climate crisis, like so many of us, that keeps me up at night. One of the things I worry most about it is this idea that it's happening just, just slow enough that we get used to it, and it's so hard to talk about. It's so difficult to engage with it, because it's so scary for so many of us. As soon as, I know for me personally, it's hard for me when I see an article written about it for me to click on it, for me to actually open that page and delve into it. It's hard for me to watch something about it. And I thought that what they did here was they did it in a very nuanced way, where they offered something very new to that conversation, and in a way that I thought was going to be very useful and interesting — and human. It was just that the film seemed to have a very new idea to approach this issue, and that's I think what moved me about it. And then, as we went on, there were questions about the character that became far more important for me to ask. But when I first read it, that's what touched me." On Zukerman's Read on Jack and His Motivations "I think it depends how far back we go with him. If we go from what we know backwards, I think he's gotten to a stage where he has lost his sense of humanity and he's just so far down the rabbit hole on this that he can't actually turn back. I was working on this show, The Lost Symbol, the Dan Brown thing, at the time that I read this, and I was researching these secret societies and how people who were doing bad things justified them. And I came across this quote, which was from the Bible: 'to the pure, all things are pure'. I think that that is key to Jack, that because he felt he was doing something worthy and important, everything else he was doing was fine and justified … It's this idea that he's probably just a bucket with a hole in it. It doesn't matter what you pour in, he's always going to be empty. I think he's one of these just incredibly ordinary people who thinks that he's a vulnerable genius, and no one is giving him the adulation he deserves, and he will never get enough love from his partner, and that then leads to control and violence. So I think those are the things that are at play in him." On Playing a Part That's a Puzzle for the Audience as They Try to Piece Together the Full Story "Typically, the more complex a character, the less challenging I find it, because then there are just so many things underneath the surface. So those things were great, and once I knew the approach, what we were trying to do, we talked, Will, Tom and Tahlia and I talked early about this idea that we'd be doing a disservice to this story if he was arch — especially the domestic control, domestic violence story. And that he had to be so ordinary in that way, that if we were trying to portray a villain, it would do a disservice to Tahlia's story and it would be doing a disservice to the wider story. So the fact that we could let all of that complexity live in him, that gave me a lot of freedom. But you're right that the challenging thing in any of these stories is how we bury the lead when we choose to drop breadcrumbs, how we lean on awkward moments as clues for the idea — like leaving just enough the information for the audience to question what is going on to lead them down the rabbit hole with us ,but gently. That is the more challenging thing, because that's not necessarily about just living in the scene naturally. That's trying to plan the larger story. I was buoyed when I saw it — I thought we did that quite well. I really loved especially how they put it together in the edit, leaning on those awkward interactions, I thought was quite nice." On the Research That Goes Into Playing a Part Like This, Digging Into Coercive Control, Biotech and More "Typically I do love a lot of research, and I started down the path of him being an engineer. I wanted to make sure those thoughts were in there. I wanted to know where we were at with that stuff. But I think ultimately where I got to was, all that stuff — like you like feel at the end of the film — I think is window dressing in a way. I needed to know enough about that so that I could know what he was doing, but ultimately the key to him is what we're talking about — how to actually think about these men who do these things, like 'what is the wiring going on in in them?'. That's the work of understanding this character. It's the domestic work. It's the human work. And to try to explain, empathise, not absolve, but just to understand what makes these people do those things. I think that was the work with him." [caption id="attachment_997132" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, Macall Polay/HBO[/caption] On Saying Goodbye to Succession, and What It Meant to Zukerman to Be a Part of It "I think it's so nice that that show will exist forever. I think it's now part of television canon, and to be a part of it, I'm just so proud. So I think it will just always have a life. I grew up loving The Sopranos and Six Feet Under and The Wire and Oz, and those seminal TV shows — and The West Wing. I knew characters that were there for an episode, that were there for three episodes. I was so aware of every little storyline on all of those shows, and I was just like 'if only I could be in something like that, that would be it'. Like, 'I would be fine'. [caption id="attachment_997133" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, Peter Kramer/HBO[/caption] And I'm lucky that I got to do one of those, and I got to be there for a little bit, and I got to witness how they made it, and I got to be around those people. I just feel so lucky. I was there and I was a part of it, but I got to also be an audience just as much as, I think, in it. It's an interesting question. It was something just so special about that production that I think I'll continue to try to, I guess, understand and learn from and think about. [caption id="attachment_997137" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, David Russell/HBO[/caption] All I love about any work is how close to the creative muscle I can be, and I think what was special about that show was that. I was on the periphery. There were moments when I was a little more forward in the story, but largely I was orbiting the story. And I think what was special about that is that it doesn't matter how big your role must have been — that's both the cast and crew — everyone on that set felt like they were a part of it, that they had agency to make decisions, that they were genuinely like what was being asked of them was what was special about them to only bring that. That was what was special, and that's what I'll remember. And I think it left something with me that I've taken to other things. I think it's that energy that I've brought with me after that show. " [caption id="attachment_997145" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Apple Cider Vinegar, courtesy of Netflix © 2025[/caption] On Heading Back to Australia After a Significant Run of Roles Overseas "It was never by design that I would be away. It was just that the right things didn't come up, or scheduling got in the way, or something happened for me over there that meant that I couldn't come back for various things. And it was just always I missed it. I really missed being back. I really love it here. I love the way we work. I love how fast we are, how efficient we are. We work with few resources sometimes, but it's an advantage, it creates the style of TV and film that we make. It all goes into it. It ends up on camera, that energy. And it kind of has become our visual language sometimes. [caption id="attachment_997144" align="alignnone" width="1920"] One More Shot, Ben King/Stan[/caption] And I also guess there is something about being overseas and an expat which means I'm always playing someone else in a way. There's something about home, is what I'm saying, that's important. That I know the rules of Australia. I know how people interact, that there's the micro gestures between us all, how we all interact. I guess that is home for me, that when I get back to Australia my shoulders drop and I just know how to live here. Even though the US isn't that different, it's different enough that it changes me. It requires something else of me to live there. And that's a joy sometimes. I mean, to leave is wonderful — but to come back is really, it's home. It's just a very special thing. And also, I feel very fortunate because of what I've been able to do overseas, I can now come back and work on these great things, and help these great things get up." On the Initial Dream for Zukerman's Acting Career When He Was First Starting Out "It's such a great question, because it's so rare to look back and go 'what was it that that younger person had actually wanted, and are you there now?'. That's a very special question that I don't really often give myself time to do. But I think I probably had a lot of chutzpah and a lot of ambition back then. I probably had ideas, but I didn't know what the job was, even. I didn't know what the work of being an actor was. I had a feeling that acting gave me the ability to do something I couldn't do in life, that I loved the analysis of human beings, and I loved being able to express things that I didn't express in my normal life. I loved that. But that hadn't really congealed yet, and probably at the time I just had ideas about wanting to play these big roles and do these big things, but I didn't know what it was. [caption id="attachment_997146" align="alignnone" width="1920"] City on Fire, Apple TV+[/caption] Once I started studying and I started understanding what it was, I think very quickly the only goal of mine was to have choice — just to be able to do the things I love. Like I said, it's just not always the case that I love acting, and I knew that early on that sometimes the experience can be difficult for myriad reasons. But to be able to get to a point where I can just, from project to project — based on, whether it's the quality of the work or it's the quality of the people, or both — that I could just choose to do that. I think that's nice to think about that. I think I have it, I am doing that now. I get to be pretty picky with what I do, and I get to do things for the right reasons." In Vitro opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
"Why can't you enjoy life?": when that line arrives in Hard Truths, it's not only a haunting moment within the latest film from British writer/director Mike Leigh, but the same from any movie in the past few years. First, the perennially depressed, angry and disillusioned — and also agoraphobic, paranoid, confrontational and hypochondriac — Pansy (Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Surface) utters it, giving voice to the accusations that she felt were directed her way by her late mother. Pansy's sister Chantelle (Michele Austin, Boat Story) then repeats it back, but as her own question, asking someone so clearly always in pain why such hurt, unhappiness and fury is her default status. "It was the combination of a lot of improvisations and preparation. It just came out of the blue," Jean-Baptiste tells Concrete Playground about that piece of dialogue. "It was obviously months of rehearsing and developing the characters that led up to it." She continues: "it just summed up the frustration that Chantelle has with her sister Pansy, but also I think something releases for Pansy when she actually answers truthfully." Leigh sees it as "part of the investigation of the relationship", he advises. "The moment, like all the moments — and all the action and all the dialogue and everything else — came out of the whole exploratory process of making the film by finding out what the film is on the journey of making it." As all projects by the iconic filmmaker are — across an on-screen resume that started with 1971's Bleak Moments; saw Jean-Baptiste nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Leigh's Secrets & Lies in 1996; and also covers Life Is Sweet, Naked, Career Girls, Vera Drake, Happy-Go-Lucky, Another Year, Mr Turner, Peterloo and more — the London-set Hard Truths was built from the ground up with his collaborators. His famed method of working involves casting first, constructing characters one on one with his actors sans script, tasking them with improvising the dialogue and, along the way, finding the storyline while only telling the members of his ensemble what they each need to know to play their parts. Here, the result is a two-time BAFTA nominee, including for Best Actress for its lead, who won the same category at the British Independent Film Awards. Alongside standing out as a portrait of the daily lives of a Black British family, a rarity in cinemas, Hard Truths is also a stunning study of a character who holds onto her agony, fears, rage and exasperation so tightly inside, and unleashes it so frequently at anyone and everyone in her vicinity. Pansy's contented salon-owner sister — a single mother with two daughters, one training to be a lawyer (Sophia Brown, Dead Shot) and the other in cosmetics (Ani Nelson, One Day) — isn't the only target of her distress. Hard Truths' protagnist's husband Curtley (David Webber, My Lady Jane) and adult son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett, Back to Black) are as visibly weary from attempting to cope as Pansy clearly is. Jean-Baptiste describes the character as "somebody who is in a lot of pain, but doesn't quite know where it's coming from. There's a lot of fear as well. It's 'attack before I'm attacked'. She's petrified of life and it manifests itself in a very aggressive way". If her performance hardly feels like one — not that she's Pansy IRL for a second — that's again a result of Leigh's process. "Michele Austin and I, obviously we've worked together before with Mike, but we would get into a room and Mike would talk to us about the girls. And so we had to build their parallel history," she explains, offering one example of how such fully realised characters came about. "Their parents, their grandparents, where they lived in London, what schools they went to, the bus route to their schools. How did they get there? Did they walk? Did they have to go past the park? And then we go and find that in London. So located it, so there's a visual memory of what that would have looked like, and that continues and continues until we get to a point — we do birthdays, parties, holidays, all that information. So imagine when you're in an improvisation a month and a half later, you've got all this stuff, all this wonderful history, all these experiences, that you can pull on at any given point within the improvs. So that's how that works." And yes, across a resume that also spans The Cell, City of Ember, the RoboCop remake, In Fabric, seven seasons of Without a Trace, Broadchurch, Blindspot, Homecoming and much more, Jean-Baptiste advises that she's benefited from Leigh's approach even when he's not her director. What appeals to Leigh, one of cinema's great excavators of life's complexities — struggles, joys and everything in-between — about investigating humanity through his work, and collaborating with his cast to create characters that feel like they could've walked off the street and into his movies? And what has driven him to do so for more than half a century? "It comes naturally to me. As a little kid, I was drawing caricatures of the grown-ups," he notes. "I don't make movies about movies. I love watching movies, but that's separate from the films that I make. I am not interested in received notions of plot and structure or anything else. For me, film — and indeed theatre, when I do stage plays, including in Australia — it's about a way to look at real life. People say to me 'where do your ideas come from?'. Well, I've only got to walk down the street and there are ten, 12, 20, 50, 100 films, because it's people, and that's really what it's about for me, basically." With Leigh and Jean-Baptiste reuniting for Hard Truths not only after Secrets & Lies and collaborating for the stage, but after Jean-Baptiste composed the score for Leigh's Career Girls, too, we also chatted with the pair about their working relationship, Leigh's starting point with each project, getting into and out of character, and the challenges and freedoms of his process, among other topics. What continues to inspire them and what they make of their respective careers: we spoke with the two about that as well. On Building Pansy as a Character Over Months and Months Marianne: "Mike asks you to come to the first session, where he works with you one on one, and to have a list of people from real life, real-life people that you know. And you start talking about all of these people and a list is formed, and the list gets smaller and smaller and smaller. So it's important to ground the characters in reality. And from that point, it's a stepping off point, because the character changes. For example, if you have three people, you've taken characteristics from those three people and you've merged them, what you would then do is start from scratch and build a new character — from their first memory to the age they're going to play when you actually see them in the film. In that process, you start to, with Mike always — he takes the position of god, he makes the decisions that none of us can make for ourselves — so with Mike, there's a collaboration whereby he asks lots of questions and you start filling in answers to who this person is. And then things that you wouldn't be able to decide, he makes those decisions. And in doing so, the disappointments, the heartbreaks and things like that, start to build in that person's life. So on a simplistic level, you could say that she is a combination of all of the bad experiences she's had — some real, some imaginary." Mike: "It's a difficult question to answer, really. Because obviously at one level, such people resonate for me — just as for everybody else, no doubt, including you — with experiences that you've had. What we do on my films, and this film is absolutely no exception, is I collaborate with each actor to give birth to a character. And drawing on various things, including some people that Marianne Jean-Baptiste actually knows, we evolved the basis of the character, which then grew." Marianne: "My experience in life. Observation. Being fascinated by human beings. That's the sort of thing that I generally draw on. And just knowing that — it's like being a kid again, almost — knowing that I'm absolutely free to imagine and create. One of my first jobs out of drama school, actually, was doing a Mike Leigh play — and it's exactly the same process, but it was early enough in my career to influence the way that I approached my work and almost approach life in that sort of people-watching way, and just being fascinated. So I think that just being in a safe environment where that was okay to make stuff up, and to pull stuff from my imagination is acceptable. I think you're just in-character in this process. We warm up into character and we snap out of it quite quickly. But as I said, it really is the culmination of months and months of working. We rehearsed for three and a half months — and that's a short rehearsal process for Mike. So if you can imagine, that's months of building layers and layers and layers. So there's every disappointment she's had. There's everything that she hoped for but didn't achieve. There's every slight or perceived slight that she's had. There's that idea that nobody listens to her, nobody values her, nobody likes her. So that's going on for three and a half bloody months. So by the time you get to those sort of scenes, it's like it's all there — it's all there already." On Reteaming Not Only After Secrets & Lies, But After Stage Collaborations and Jean-Baptiste Composing the Score for Leigh's Career Girls Mike: "We did work together 30 years, 31 years ago, in a stage play. And then of course, she was famously in Secrets & Lies, in which, incidentally, in both of those projects she paired with Michele Austin, who plays her sister in this film. It's a long time since Secrets and Lies, and I wanted to work with her — and she with me — for a long time. Often it's the case that you want to work with an actor and they're actually very busy doing other things. Finally we said 'well, let's go for it. Let's do it'. We were going to make the film sooner, but the pandemic put paid to that." Marianne: "I think he's very bold. He's a bold storyteller. He loves people and he loves actors. And I think, as an actor you have more agency working with him than you do with most other types of work. It's truly collaborative — and collaborative all round with production design, with hair and makeup. Everybody works together and everybody's on the same page about the way that they're going to approach the work. I think we've got a very similar sense of humour, so that really helps as well." On Leigh's Starting Point with His Actors on Each Film Mike: "I work individually, separately and privately with each actor. And part of the deal with these films is that the actors take part, agree to take part, and the deal is you'll never know anything about the rest of it, except what your character knows. So they're all working, as it were, in isolation from each other. And I sit down at some length, with quite a lot of sessions, with each actor, and we talk about real people and gradually we talk into existence the basis of the character. So that's the starting point. Then it's about putting them together and exploring relationships, and building up the world and doing any research that needs to be done — into activities or work or whatever it is. To arrive at something that is completely organic and three-dimensional, and is also thus the basis of a film, which then, during the shooting period, we construct as we go along scene by scene, sequence by sequence, location by location, arriving at the end." On Ensuring That Leigh's Cast Can Step Out of Their Characters, Especially Someone as Complicated as Pansy, When Each Scene and Day Ends Marianne: "It's hard to shake in that you still keep, it's still there in your head working. Mike's very, very strict about coming out of character. So there's a whole protocol on-set about warming up into character and warming down. But with Pansy, because of the intrusive thoughts that the character had, obviously you have to create that thought process for yourself in order to play it. So it took a while for me to shut her up." Mike: "As soon as we start to get the characters on the go, I'm very strict, right from the beginning. But actors should warm up and get into character, be absolutely in-character when they're in-character, but as soon as we stop — which is to say not at the end of the day, but each improvisation or whatever it is — to come out of character. So the actor is then able to be objective about what happened in the improvisation or about the character. I'm also very strict that the actor, when talking about the character, refers to the character as 'him' or 'her, not 'I' — which a lot of actors, as you know, do, they talk about 'I' and there's a crossing of wires. So that's really a discipline. And that's what you're talking about, to be sure the actor can be totally in it when in it, but totally comfortable and not screwed up when not in it." On the Challenges and Freedoms of Leigh's Approach Marianne: "It's exhilarating, terrifying and freeing — all those wonderful things. There's nothing else like it, being able to work in this way. There were times when you feel like crying, because you're like 'what on earth am I doing? What is this?'. And then you see it, you see the result and you go 'oh my god'. Because obviously, because everybody's working individually on their characters, you don't know what's happening. The first time I saw the film, I was able to see what happened in the beauty salon, and what Curtley did at work and where Moses went, and what the nieces were like. So it's like, for us, it's like discovering the film for the first time. It's wonderful is all I can say." Mike: "It's totally a combination of the two. It's certainly challenging. Here's the thing: if they say 'okay, here's five or six million pounds and you've got to deliver a film', that is quite a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, of course. It's challenging, but it's highly stimulating. And the freedom of there being no preconceptions or interference or prescriptions from the streamers or the producers or anybody — the backers or the whoever — it's very liberating. Frightening, yes, but then the creative process is dangerous in any context. But liberating. It's wonderful. If I were to ever — many times over the years, the opportunity has come to make a film with certain provisos. 'You have to have a Hollywood star in it.' 'We have to be able to monitor it.' 'You can't have final cut.' All that stuff. Well, I'll just walk away. It just doesn't happen, basically. Which then liberates the freedom to do what artists should do." On How Leigh Works with His Cast to Ensure That Whether or Not the Audience Has Lived a Character's Life, They Feel Recognisable Mike: "You can't underestimate the contribution of the actor. The actor's intelligence, sensitivity, perception, talent. I only work with character actors, which is to say people that don't just play themselves in a narcissistic way, but actually are up for and want to detect, depict and portray real people out on the street. And so my job is to facilitate and to contribute in terms of the narrative ideas — but in the end, what you're asking about relies primarily on her ability to to act, create, empathise, project, distill and investigate all those aspects of the character. There are actors who are, on the whole, good actors, but are not very intelligent. There are actors who are fine actors that have no sense of humour. There are actors who, as I've already said, are not character actors. Marianne Jean-Baptiste, like all the actors in this film, has all of those qualities, not least a sense of character and a sense of humour, and therefore has the ability to get inside different sorts of people and really, really bring it to life." On How Cognisant That Jean-Baptiste and Leigh Were About Hard Truths Standing Out as a Portrait of the Daily Lives of a Black British Family Marianne: "No, we were not aware of it while we were making it. We were aware that there's a predominantly all-black cast, but you obviously don't know what the story is. So you know it's going to be something to do with family and stuff, but yeah, it's a bonus that it's something that people can be proud of and say 'yeah, great, so refreshing'." Mike: "That was a deliberate decision. It wasn't, in no way, a difficult decision, because I just approached the characters and the world and the issues and the emotions and the relationships in this film just as I have every other film I've made, including the period films — which is to say these are people and we're looking at them as people in a real way. However, I was very definitely consciously aware that we were not going to deal in all those cliche tropes that films about Black people on the whole deal with, because that's not what it's about as far as I'm concerned. For me, I would say — and you're no doubt familiar with other films of mine — across all of my films, it's a collection of different aspects of society, but all looking at people as individual, real people. And this film is, if you like, the mere continuation of that ongoing investigation." On Reflecting the Reality of Life by Making a Film That's Both Deeply Moving and Has a Sense of Humour Mike: "It's not a balancing act at all. Life is comic and tragic. Whatever you do, whether you like it or not — how many times have you not laughed at a funeral? Life just comes out of the soil, ready-made comic and tragic. So for me, I don't sit around thinking 'oh, maybe there should be a comic moment' or 'maybe this should be a tragic moment'. That looks after itself, and it certainly looks after itself in this film. It's a barrel of laughs, hopefully, for a good section, a good chunk of the film. And then — and we've had quite a number of public screenings of the film, and you could absolutely chart precisely where the laughter dies away, and it's obvious why that is. It's not a question of balance. It's a question of the truth of what you're depicting and what you're investigating, what you're sharing with the audience and what the audience experiences." On What Inspires Jean-Baptiste and Leigh About a New Project Marianne: "At this point in my life, I'm looking for challenges. I'm looking for something that I can transform myself — something that's going to be fun. For me, that's it. Are they good people? Will it be fun? Will it be challenging in a good way, you know?" Mike: "To me, it's always exciting. It's partly, to be honest, because I don't know what we're going to do and therefore there are all sorts of possibilities. And my head is buzzing with all sorts of possibilities and ideas — 'maybe we'll get him', 'maybe we'll get her to the party'. Then, of course, it's the anticipation and the enjoyment of actually working with people, and making it and making the thing happen. And shooting and working with the actors, all that's just, to me, a joy. Here's the thing that's important: the way I make films is the same way but is parallel to people writing novels, painting pictures, making music, making sculpture, writing poetry, et cetera — which is to say that the artist embarks on a journey of investigation, and discovers what the piece is on the journey of making it. They interact with the material. How many novelists have you heard say 'well, I didn't know what was going to happen, and then somehow the character told me what needed to happen next'? That's really what I do. The privilege I feel I have that painters and novelists, et cetera, don't have, is that I'm not stuck in a room by myself. It's a collaborative, socially pleasurable activity." [caption id="attachment_782569" align="alignnone" width="1920"] In Fabric[/caption] On What Jean-Baptiste and Leigh Each Make of Their Careers So Far Marianne: "I think it's interesting. I think I've had quite an interesting career. I've forgotten some stuff that I've done — it's gotten to that stage where people go 'oh that film' and I go 'oh yeah'. Yes, I think it's been a bit of an interesting one, mine, that's taken me to a few different places. I've been able to be quite selective in the last say five or ten years, which is good." [caption id="attachment_722535" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peterloo[/caption] Mike: "Well, on the whole, if I was to sum it all up, I think I've been very lucky, actually, really. There've been breaks at times, which made it possible to do the crazy thing I do, which is to say to backers or theatre managers: 'I have no idea what we're going to do. I will not discuss casting. And please don't interfere with it while we're doing it at any stage'. And one could be forgiven for imagining that on that basis, I might never have done anything. So I've been lucky in that sense, and I guess the honest answer to your question is that, really — that I've found it remarkable that I've kind of got away with it." Hard Truths opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, March 6, 2025 and New Zealand cinemas on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
We love a story behind a name and Fox Maiden in Hawthorn has a nice one. Inspired by the Japanese legends of Kitsune — fox creatures that hold incredible powers of transformation and strong influence — the homegrown store takes the life-changing ability of fashion seriously. The bright and airy boutique stocks the best of the best Australian and international labels, from chic formal gowns by Lexi Clothing to statement shoes by Jeffrey Campbell. Drop in the next time you need a new LBD and you'll probably leave with more than you bargained for. Images: Tracey Ah-kee.
There's nothing better than combining two of our favourite things into one amazing adventure: the outdoors and drool-worthy food. Because let's face it, Sydney has to be one of the best places in the world for dining in the open air. Here are ten of the best places to do it. The Grounds of Alexandria The Grounds of Alexandria is less outdoor restaurant than inner-city country fair. The garden grows produce for the kitchen and doubles as an outside eating area for takeaway meals, and there's also outdoor seating within the bar the Potting Shed. The only downside of this experimental paradise that we can see is the time you're likely to wait to get fed. Turn up early, plan a weekday visit, or pack your patience and wait for a table with the animals in the garden. Building 7A 2 Huntley Street, Alexandria The Commons In the midst of Darlinghurst's shoulder-to-shoulder apartments, congested streets and endless noise, The Commons acts as the voice of reason. Relax. Slow down. Enjoy yourself. The heritage building has been kept intact, with sandstone lining the walls and exposed brickwork peeking through. Long, communal wooden tables line the main dining room, while a trot downstairs reveals a cosy little bar with magazines, books and, if you're lucky, a jazz trio plucking out the tunes. The whole place is dusted in an amber glow, candles and low lighting, but outside there's a relaxed airiness that never gets old. 32 Burton Street, Darlinghurst Bondi Beach Burrito Co A bucketful of icy Coronas? $10 frozen margaritas? Beachside location? Consider my arm twisted. Indeed, it's pretty hard to fault the notoriously popular Bondi Beach Burrito. Suitably loud and colourful, the restaurant knows its market (bare-footed Bondi beach dwellers, backpackers and party-goers) and caters to it well with low-fuss, pay-as-you-go Mexican fare that rarely pushes the $15 mark. 252 Campbell Parade, Bondi The Winery One of Surry Hills' quirkiest dining experiences, The Winery's whimsical outdoor setting matches their unexpected menu adventures and adorable staff aprons. Think wrought iron patio furniture, picket fences, umbrellas, fairy lights and mismatching garden ornaments. Paired with The Winery's formidable (and recently award-winning) wine list, show-stopper cheese offerings and genuinely excellent service, this is prime date material. 285A Crown Street, Surry Hills Oxford Tavern For those who like their inner-west pubs with character. Known originally for its topless barmaids, cheap booze and pokie machines, the Oxford Tavern is now an all-out American BBQ beer house, complete with sport, eats and beer garden out back. The place churns a healthy mix of Aussie pub classics and American-style BBQ feeds, courtesy of the beloved Black Betty smoker out the back. On offer are asado steak tacos (with house-made tortillas) and chook san choy bow, as well as pub staples like schnittys, steak and an absolutely monstrous, stadium-sized double dawg. 1 New Canterbury Road, Petersham Balmoral Boathouse If you've ever wanted to know how a billionaire feels when they eat their lunch, you should probably check out the Boathouse at Balmoral. Because, let's face it, it's a hell of lot easier than making a billion dollars. For eats, it's hard to look past the seafood when you're sitting outside in the sunshine on a deck suspended over the ocean. Try the salt and pepper squid served in an adorable tin bucket ($24) or the battered flathead served atop a mountain of thick cut chips ($28). 2 The Esplanade, Balmoral Beach El Loco at Slip Inn While this place can't hold a candle to the original in terms of atmosphere, the ample outdoor seating happening at Slip Inn's El Loco offshoot counts for a lot. It's the place to head if you're a fan of spicy tortilla, colourful flags, icy margaritas, floral oilcloth or general happiness. The killer snack menu features Dan Hong's infamous tacos and cheese-drowned hot dogs, as well as a "secret taco" that always tends to increase in appeal as the bucket of Coronas diminishes. 111 Sussex Street, Sydney Miss Peaches Soul Food Kitchen Welcome to a pseudo-Louisiana where Miss Peaches and her Soul Food Kitchen are waiting. The spacious brick bar has old-school Southern charm with plenty of comfy booths plus a blues-infused vinyl collection to get any feet dancing. But if you've managed to nab a seat on the balcony, overlooking the hustle and bustle of King Street, then you're having one of the best nights of anybody in Newtown. The menu is the antithesis of all diets and not for the faint of heart. 201 Missenden Road, Newtown The Courthouse Hotel Grungy though it may be, this is one of Sydney's most loved courtyards, and the default of any inner westie wanting to eat outdoors. From the wooden veranda, you gaze down onto a maze of long wooden benches surrounded by frangipani trees and tropical plants which, bafflingly, still manage to grow amongst the spilled beer and cigarette butts. You need to get there early on in the night to get a table, particularly on a Friday or Saturday night, but because they're so big and packed together, you're more likely to make friends at The Courthouse than at most drinking establishments in Sydney. Food-wise, some of the gourmet options don't stack up, but a standard bowl of wedges or nachos to soak up the beer is really all you want at a place like this. 202 Australia Street, Newtown. Image: Newtown grafitti via photopin cc. The Bucket List This Bondi-hipster haven by the sea has long been famous for buckets of beer and prawns (different buckets) in the sun on Sundays, or a chilled cocktail on Friday and Saturday nights. Gaze out over Bondi Beach while nomming on spaghetti with crab and zucchini flowers, chicken Cobb salad, or a bowl of comforting beer-battered pickles and onion rings. While outdoor space is ample here, the Bucket List actually works year round; in winter you can forget the oceanside squalls by the fireplace inside. Shop 1, Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach By the Concrete Playground team.
UPDATE, September 17, 2021: Ammonite is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Looking at an ammonite fossil is like putting your ear up to a seashell: in their ridged spirals, it feels as if a whole new world could exist. In the latter's case, each one is made from the remains of extinct molluscs from millions of years ago, and lingers now as a reminder of a different time and existence, its compact coils encasing all of its secrets. The striking specimens from the past provide the film Ammonite with its title, and with an obvious metaphor as well — but also an apt one that's brought to life with meticulous delicacy. The two central characters in this patient yet always evocative 1840s-set romance are the product of centuries of convention and expectation, with society's engrained views about women both weathering away at them and solidifying their place. They're also as tightly wound as the historical remnants they tirelessly search for along the craggy, cliff-lined West Dorset coastline. Writer/director Francis Lee made his feature debut with 2017's exceptional God's Own Country, which means he has already deployed many of the choices that are pivotal to Ammonite. Both brandish a title that functions literally and symbolically. Both spin stories about queer love that arises slowly and organically in heightened and intimate circumstances. Both dive into specific, labour-intensive fields with a resolute and instinctive connection to the land, and derive an elemental tenor from their crucial locations. The two films each watch on tenderly as a new arrival upends the status quo, unleashing a wave of affection that takes both parties by surprise — unlocking a lifetime of closely held emotions, and gifting lonely souls a connection they wouldn't otherwise admit they yearned for. But Lee's latest feature isn't just the lesbian counterpart to its predecessor. While the movies complement each other perfectly, Ammonite unearths its own depths and boasts its own strengths. Lee has made the concerted decision not just to focus on women, but to fictionalise the relationship between real-life scientists who find solace in each other as they're forced to fight to be seen as anything other than housewives. Living in Lyme Regis with her ailing mother (Gemma Jones, Rocketman), Mary Anning (Kate Winslet, Wonder Wheel) is no one's wife, and doesn't want to be — but, toiling in the male-dominated realm of palaeontology, she's accustomed to being treated differently to her peers. As a child, she found her first ammonite fossil, which is displayed in the British Museum. Now scraping by running a shop that sells smaller specimens to rich tourists, she hasn't stopped looking for other big discoveries since. When geologist Roderick Murchison (James McArdle, Mary, Queen of Scots) visits Mary's store, however, he's after her services in a different way. In a casual reminder of just how dismissively women are regarded, she's asked to take care of his melancholic wife Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan, Little Women) while he travels abroad for work. Roderick thinks it'll be good for Charlotte to learn from Mary, to get outside daily and to have a sense of purpose, but Mary only agrees for the money. Ammonite swells with foreboding, rather than with astonishment. Viewers know where the narrative is heading, and soak in every moment of the gradual journey along the way. And, as Mary and Charlotte form a friendship and then something more, working through their individual traumas in the process — Mary's heart is hardened from a failed relationship with another villager, while Charlotte's depression stems from a miscarriage — the audience dives into their passion and their struggles in tandem. Eventually, heated trysts ensue, but Ammonite isn't a torrid, feverish, corset-ripper. Lee paces his film deliberately, colours it with grey and naturalistic hues thanks to cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine (Jackie, Elle), and gives it an almost grim mood, all to stress just how Mary and Charlotte's bond offers a ray of sunshine in an otherwise austere existence. Mirroring the restrained lives enforced upon 19th-century women in general, and those trying to forge careers specifically, the filmmaker's approach proves thoughtful, involving and moving; to truly understand why his central couple dissolve with such contentment in each other's embrace requires deeply feeling the oppression and unhappiness that surrounds them everyday. Casting frequent Oscar favourites Winslet and Ronan has a significant impact, of course. God's Own Country didn't need high-profile names to leave an impression, and neither does Ammonite, but Lee has enlisted two of the best actors for the current job. The former won a golden statuette for 2009's The Reader, the latter nabbed four nominations before her 26th birthday, and both rank among the greats presently gracing our screens — a status that Ammonite only reinforces. Playing complex and conflicted characters so used to aching inside that it shades every element of their demeanour, they're each quietly and potently expressive here in their own ways. Winslet is stern, fierce, no-nonsense and task-oriented, while Ronan is eager and open but heartbroken and tentative. Each recognises more than a little of themselves in the other, and the magnetic pull drawing Mary and Charlotte closer becomes palpable in their hands. Watching Winslet and Ronan's often-silent, always-emotionally loaded stares, viewers can be forgiven of thinking of the past year's other stellar sapphic romance; however, Ammonite doesn't merely lurk in Portrait of a Lady on Fire's shadow either. Exquisitely told love stories can simmer and sparkle to the point of threatening to catch ablaze, as the French film does so magnificently. They can also ebb and flow back and forth like the tide washing against the rocky shore, which this English drama prefers. Ammonite serves up its own equally nuanced and resonant affair as a result, crackling with the salty ocean air and clinging to the forbidding cliffs rather than shimmering and sitting in the beachside sun. A solemn sense of beauty emanates, too, as does an earthy reminder that romances, women and under-appreciated bright minds alike never just adhere to one type — and that excavating that truth should be commonplace, rather than monumental. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZAQT0jTFuU
There's a new spot in town facilitating all-out luxury weekends away and lavish wellness retreats right by some of NSW's best wineries. Zensi Retreat has opened just outside of Mudgee, offering a regional oasis that's perfect for big group getaways (see: sophisticated hens parties or 30ths) and romantic couples trips, while also running one-off all-inclusive wellness weekends. If you've glanced at the photos and you're already daydreaming of a trip to Zensi, there are a few ways the accommodation functions. The first is the curated wellness retreats that the team runs semi-regularly. There are two wellness weekends scheduled over the next month: the Feminine, and the Rest and Slow Down. Both include two days and two nights of nourishing meals, spa treatments, yoga and workshops — with spots available for $660–1300 per person, depending on what section of Zensi you're looking to stay in. Whenever the property isn't being used for a bespoke retreat, it's bookable for both groups and couples across two different spaces. For getaways with the crew you can opt for The House which sleeps up to ten. This four-bedroom space includes a kitchen-dining area, sauna, plunge spa, firepit, barbecue, pool with day beds and an al fresco entertainment area — making it adaptable for both swim-filled summer trips and winter evenings around the fire. As expected, this massive all-inclusive luxury stay doesn't come cheap, but, if you can get a group of ten together, the house starts from just $125 per person for each night you stay. There are also added extras that you can splurge on including a personal chef. There's also a smaller, more intimate accommodation option called The Villa. With room for two, this space is all about secluded couples or solo stays. If you've got an anniversary or birthday coming up and you're looking to escape it all, The Villa offers a one-bedroom house set to the backdrop of the vast fields of central west NSW with a pool, firepit, living and dining room, sauna and al fresco area. All of this is set on a huge 33-acre property, with both spaces designed around natural hues, raw materials and minimal distractions so that you can switch and connect with the environment around you. Founders Ruby Chapman and Ray Tayoun say that the concept behind Zensi was: "To create an experience that immerses the body and mind, where one can find a sense of ease within a meticulously curated environment that caters to your every need." Zensi Retreat is located 173 Lowes Peak Road, St Fillans, 15 minutes from Mudgee. Head to the website to browse its upcoming wellness retreats and to book a stay at either The House or The Villa.
Voila! The Four Horsemen are hitting Australia, in magical news if you like illusionists and the Now You See Me film franchise. Back in 2018, it was announced that the Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain)-, Woody Harrelson (Last Breath)-, Dave Franco (Together)- and Isla Fisher (Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy)-starring cinema saga was making its way to the stage — and while that's proven the case elsewhere since, the IRL production will make its first trip to Australia before 2025 is out. Now You See Me Live doesn't feature the cast of the films, but gets real-life illusionists demonstrating their skills instead. Their Aussie stop: the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall across Friday, December 19, 2025–Saturday, January 3, 2026. Audiences will be able to see Adam Trent from the US, Enzo Weyne from France, Andrew Basso from Italy and Gabriella Lester from South Africa step into the Four Horsemen's shoes. From Trent, expect plenty of sleight of hand, while Weyne specialises in large-scale magic. Basso prefers death-defying acts and Lester is a master of Houdini's upside down straight-jacket escape. The ensemble have taken to the stage for residencies on Broadway and in Las Vegas, and also in hundreds of other cities. Now, it's Australia's turn. "Hosting an Australian-premiere season at the Opera House is always a thrill, and this show is a spectacle — perfect for anyone with an appetite to be wowed this summer. Now You See Me Live takes movie magic to a whole new level of drama in this high-stakes live experience," said Brenna Hobson, Sydney Opera House Director, Programming, announcing the shows. Added Simon Painter, the production's Creative Producer, "Now You See Me Live pushes the boundaries of stage magic to the absolute edge, making the impossible possible in front of your very eyes. Together we've created a show with truly mindblowing artistry at epic scale and we can't wait for Sydney audiences to experience the magic — live!" 2025 is a big Now You See Me year: a new movie in the franchise is on its way to cinemas, too, with Now You See Me: Now You Don't releasing in Aussie picture palaces on Thursday, November 13, 2025. Check out the trailer for Now You See Me Live below: Now You See Me Live is playing the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall across Friday, December 19, 2025–Saturday, January 3, 2026. Head to the venue website for more information — with presale tickets from 9am on Tuesday, August 26, 2025 and general tickets from 9am on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.
On the big screen, the Jurassic franchise keeps finding a way. After 1993's page-to-cinemas hit Jurassic Park proved such a smash, more movies were always going to follow. So spawned sequels in 1997 and 2001, then the first three Jurassic World flicks in 2015, 2018 and 2022 — and now there's a fourth of the latter on the way in 2025. But it isn't just on screens that this saga continues to pop up. Welcome to ... your latest reason to be surrounded by lifelike prehistoric creatures in 2024, Melburnians. After roaring into Sydney in 2023, and teasing a trip further south since early this year, Jurassic World: The Exhibition has opened in Brunswick. Head to The Fever Exhibition Hall from Friday, August 2 and you'll feel like you've been transported to Isla Nublar, complete with a walk through the big-screen saga's famed gates. From there, you'll mosey around themed environments featuring life-sized versions of the movie franchise's dinos, including a brachiosaurus, velociraptors — yes, get ready to say "clever girl" — and a Tyrannosaurus rex. Attendees can get roaming while staring at animatronics, including the new ankylosaurus and carnotarus. Also linking in with the animated Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series, there's baby dinos, such as the show's Bumpy. Now, all that's left is to decide which Jurassic franchise character that you want to emulate (the best choices: Laura Dern's palaeobotanist Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill's palaeontologist Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum's mathematician Ian Malcolm, of course). And no, when Michael Crichton penned Jurassic Park in 1990, then Steven Spielberg turned it into a 1993 film, they wouldn't have expected that this'd be the result 31 years — and five more movies — later.
If you're looking to bring some Danish-inspired design into your home, look no further than Curious Grace. With Scandi furniture pieces from designers like Henrik Pederson, Jakob Berg and Normann Copenhagen, you're bound to find a chair, cushion or cup that'll bring more hygge to your home. You'll obviously need to try before you buy, and the Clifton Hill showroom is the perfect place to sample all the cosy offerings. Spend the morning surrounded by soft throws and velvet fringed cushions before taking your new furniture home to continue your new life of hygge. Curious Grace also stocks a range of beautiful lamps, perfect to create a cosy ambience in your living room.
When it comes to sharing movies that've recently premiered at Cannes with Australian audiences, timing is kind to Sydney Film Festival. One fest is in May, the other is in June — and SFF makes the most of it. Indeed, in 2025, its main program announcement was packed with 15 films that would hit Cannes, then Sydney. Next, Eddington joined the lineup, doing the same. The event's closing-night pick Splitsville falls into that category as well. Now comes a late drop of nine additional Australian-premiere titles that'll get the Harbour City's projectors whirring, most of which have also only recently debuted in France. Both Sentimental Value and Sîrat are heading to Sydney after collecting prizes in Cannes. The first nabbed the Cannes Grand Prix for filmmaker Joachim Trier, who reunites with his The Worst Person in the World lead Renate Reinsve (Presumed Innocent), and also has Stellan Skarsgård (Andor) and Elle Fanning (A Complete Unknown) in his cast. The Morocco-set second film picked up a Cannes Jury Prize, and boasts Pedro Almodóvar (The Room Next Door) as a producer. Both are playing SFF as special presentations. Or, audiences can look forward to the Dardenne brothers' (Tori and Lokita) Young Mothers, which collected Cannes' Screenplay Prize — and Cannes Queer Palme and Best Actress-recipient The Little Sister. Plus, joining Reinsve, Skarsgård and Fanning among the big-name stars on Sydney Film Festival's expanded program: Gael García Bernal (Holland) and Joel Edgerton (Dark Matter). In Magellan, which is directed by Filipino great Lav Diaz (Phantosmia), Bernal plays the title character. As for Edgerton, the Australian actor pops up in The Plague, where peer pressure at a summer camp drives the narrative. SFF has also added Two Prosecutors and Eagles of the Republic, each of which screened in competition at Cannes. Sergei Loznitsa (The Invasion) is behind Two Prosecutors, which takes place in 1937 under Stalin's rule. Tarik Saleh (Cairo Conspiracy) helms Eagles of the Republic, another of Sydney Film Festival's movies set in a complicated political climate — this time as part of a satirical thriller about an Egyptian film star. It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley debuted at Sundance 2025, not Cannes, but is also an eagerly anticipated newcomer on the lineup. That's what happens when documentarian Amy Berg (Janis: Little Boy Blue, West of Memphis) turns her attention to the late, great singer almost three decades after his tragic passing. "The festival starts in just two days, but we think its never too late to add the most-exciting new films to the festival, fresh from their international premieres," said SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley. "From sweeping historical epics and urgent political dramas to intimate portraits and unforgettable performances, these films continue our commitment to showcasing the most exciting cinema from around the world." Sydney Film Festival 2025 takes place from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website.
Attention Carnivores, news is just in that Victor Churchill, the highly acclaimed butcher shop and exclusive steak restaurant in Armadale, has announced plans to open its second Melbourne location next year. Victor Churchill is set to bring its renowned butchery skills and fine dining experience to Crown Melbourne in mid-2027. The beloved butcher was established way back in 1876 in Woolhara, Sydney, and in 2009, the Puharich family changed the store's trajectory, making it the elevated brand it is today. Anthony and his father, Victor, a fourth-generation butcher, have since expanded the brand and achieved international acclaim with their signature blend of butchery, theatre, hospitality, and design. "Victor Churchill has always been about more than just meat — it's about storytelling, craft, and creating unforgettable moments," said Anthony Puharich, CEO. "We're thrilled to bring this philosophy to Crown Melbourne, where we can offer guests one of the most distinctive dining experiences in the country. This new venue will blend the heritage of Victor Churchill with the energy of a contemporary grill room, with every detail designed to feel bold, intimate, and magnetic." The new venue will mark the emergence of a partnership between Anthony and Rebecca Puharich and acclaimed chef Monty Koludrovic, who has worked in kitchens across Australia, the UK, and the United States, including at Icebergs Dining Room and Bar and The Dorchester Hotel. "Anthony and I have been close friends for almost twenty years, and I am thrilled to be coming home to Australia and to be working with the Puharich family on a project of this scale and significance. We really couldn't script it any better. Victor Churchill has earned a reputation as one of our nation's most premium butchers and luxury food destinations, and I look forward to contributing to that legacy come 2027," says Koludrovic. Victor Churchill is slated to open at Crown Melbourne in mid-2027, with Ed Domingo, Crown Melbourne CEO, saying, "This exciting new partnership brings together two icons of luxury and dining in what will be an architecturally stunning space overlooking the Yarra. We can't wait for our guests to experience the distinctive theatre and exceptional quality of Victor Churchill right here on Crown Melbourne's famed riverwalk." "Crown Melbourne is more than a destination. It is an institution at the heart of Melbourne's culture and energy. To be part of its evolution and next chapter, and to introduce Victor Churchill into this iconic waterfront resort, is genuinely exciting. I have always been drawn to opportunities that allow us to think creatively and contribute meaningfully, and there is something incredibly inspiring about playing a role in a place that has long shaped Melbourne's hospitality landscape. The next chapter of Crown Melbourne promises to be extraordinary, and this partnership feels like a natural and exciting progression for Victor Churchill," says Puharich. "From our original Woollahra store to our Melbourne home in Armadale, we've reimagined what a butcher shop can be. Now, with Crown Melbourne, we're taking the next bold step: a dedicated bar and grill that will set a new benchmark for extraordinary dining. This is more than an expansion — it's an opportunity to share our craft with locals and tourists in a setting that celebrates world-class experiences. The Victor Churchill brand is ready for this moment, and we couldn't be more motivated to deliver something exceptional." Images: Kristoffer Paulsen. Victor Churchill is set to open at Crown in mid-2027, with further details around the concept and design to be released soon. If you're after a meaty meal in the meantime, check out the best steak restaurants in Melbourne.
After 2019's One Night Stand, music lovers in regional Australia waited till 2024 for the event to return. Thankfully, there's no five-year delay between festivals this time. The Triple J initiative is back in 2025, returning this autumn and boasting Spacey Jane as its headliner. You'll have to hang out a little bit longer to find out where it's taking place, however. As well as Spacey Jane, 2025's lineup includes LUUDE, Ruby Fields, 3%, Blusher and Velvet Trip. There'll also be a Triple J Unearthed winner, although exactly who is still to be announced. Whichever talent rounds out the bill, the full roster of acts is taking to the stage somewhere in Australia on Saturday, May 24. [caption id="attachment_996056" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cole Barash[/caption] With that May date, One Night Stand is returning just over eight months since 2024's festival, which took place in the Victorian town of Warrnambool in September with G Flip, Ruel, What So Not and Thelma Plum leading the lineup. The Aussie location doing the honours this time will be revealed on Thursday, March 27. While Victoria hosted the most-recent One Night Stand and also the first — 21 years ago, Triple J gave the town of Natimuk a day to remember when the spot 300 kilometres out of Melbourne welcomed its very own major music fest — it has been known to spread the love around destination-wise. When the ABC radio station put on the festival every year between 2004–2014, then again from 2016–2019, it hopped around states. Ayr, Dalby and Mt Isa in Queensland; Port Pirie, Tumby Bay and Lucindale in South Australia; Cowra and Dubbo in New South Wales; Collie and Geraldton in Western Australia; Sale and Mildura back in Victoria; Alice Springs in the Northern Territory; and St Helens in Tasmania: they've all enjoyed the One Night Stand experience. There's no prizes for guessing why One Night Stand pressed pause from 2020–23. It was true in 2024 and it remains the case in 2025: the all-ages event is returning at time when the Australian live music scene has been suffering, and after a spate of festivals have been cancelling or saying farewell forever, including both Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo sitting out 2024 and 2025. Tickets for 2025's One Night Stand will cost $15 plus booking fee, and all proceeds will be donated to charity. One Night Stand Lineup 2025 Spacey Jane LUUDE Ruby Fields 3% Blusher Velvet Trip Triple J Unearthed winner to be announced [caption id="attachment_996060" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Savitri Wendt[/caption] 2025's triple j One Night Stand will take place on Saturday, May 24, 2025, with the town playing host set to be announced from 3.30pm AEDT on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Tickets will go on sale from 5pm AEDT on Thursday, March 27, 2025. For more information, head to the radio station's website. Top image: Mitch Lowe.
